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The diversity and prevalence of hard ticks attacking human hosts in Eastern Siberia (Russian Federation) with first description of invasion of non-endemic tick species

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Abstract

Hard ticks are the vectors of many pathogens including tick-borne encephalitis virus and the Lyme disease agent Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. In Eastern Siberia, Ixodes persulcatus, Dermacentor nuttalli, Dermacentor silvarum and Haemaphysalis concinna are regarded as aggressive to humans. Recently, significant changes in world tick fauna have been reported and this affects the spread of tick-borne pathogens. We studied the current species diversity, population structure and prevalence of tick-borne pathogens of hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) that attacked humans in Eastern Siberia (Irkutsk region, Russia). In total, 31,892 individual ticks were identified and analysed during the years 2007–2014. The majority (85.4 %) of victims was bitten by I. persulcatus, 14.55 % of attacks on humans were caused by D. nuttalli and D. silvarum, whereas H. concinna was documented only in 15 cases (0.05 %). The seasonal activity and the age/gender structure of the tick population were studied as well. Among all the studied ticks, three unconventional species, i.e. Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Dermacentor reticulatus and Amblyomma americanum, were identified. Analysis of tick bite histories indicates at least three events of invasion of non-endemic ticks into the ecosystems of northern Eurasia with harsh continental climates. Invading ticks are able to reach the adult life stage and are aggressive to the local human population. Phylogenetic analysis of mt 16S rRNA gene fragments suggests multiple independent routes of tick migration to Eastern Siberia. Possible implications to human health and epidemiology of tick-borne infections are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This research was partially supported by grants of the Russian Fund for Basic Research, project no. 11-04-92221-Mong_a and no. 12-07-98005-p_siberia_a.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Federal Budgetary Scientific Center for Family Health and Human Reproduction Problems (FBSC FHHRP), 3, K. Marks st., Irkutsk, Russian Federation

    Maxim Anatolyevich Khasnatinov, Alexander Valeryevich Liapunov, Ellina Lopsonovna Manzarova, Irina Viktorovna Petrova & Galina Anatolyevna Danchinova

  2. Federal State Public Science Institution Limnological Institute, 4, Ulan-batorskaya st., Irkutsk, Russian Federation

    Nina Viktorovna Kulakova

Authors
  1. Maxim Anatolyevich Khasnatinov
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  2. Alexander Valeryevich Liapunov
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  4. Nina Viktorovna Kulakova
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  5. Irina Viktorovna Petrova
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  6. Galina Anatolyevna Danchinova
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Correspondence to Maxim Anatolyevich Khasnatinov.

Ethics declarations

The study was approved by the Committee for biomedical ethics of FSPSI “SC FHHR” and has been performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. All applicable international, national, and institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Conflicts of interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Authors’ contributions

MAK, AVL and GAD designed the study. GAD and IVP collected the specimens and interviewed the patients. MAK, AVL, ELM and NVK performed the experiments. MAK and AVL analysed the results. MAK, AVL, GAD and NVK drafted the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Khasnatinov, M.A., Liapunov, A.V., Manzarova, E.L. et al. The diversity and prevalence of hard ticks attacking human hosts in Eastern Siberia (Russian Federation) with first description of invasion of non-endemic tick species. Parasitol Res 115, 501–510 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-015-4766-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-015-4766-7

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