Habitat Suitability of Ixodes ricinus Ticks Carrying Pathogens in North-East Italy

Maartje Huitink, Myrna de Rooij, Fabrizio Montarsi, Maria Vittoria Salvati, Federica Obber, Graziana Da Rold, Sofia Sgubin, Elisa Mazzotta, Guido di Martino, Matteo Mazzucato, Cristiano Salata, Nicoletta Vonesch, Paola Tomao, Lapo Mughini-Gras*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Ixodes ricinus ticks are ubiquitous in Europe, including in North-East Italy. These ticks are important vectors of several zoonotic pathogens of public health relevance. In this study, the habitat suitability range of I. ricinus ticks infected with zoonotic pathogens was predicted in North-East Italy, and relevant spatial predictors were identified. In 2015–2021, ticks were collected at 26 sampling sites in the study area. The collected ticks were screened for the presence of pathogens using PCR assays. For Borrelia, Rickettsia and Anaplasma/Ehrlichia species, data allowed for ecological niche modelling using Maxent. Environmental determinants potentially related to tick habitat suitability were used as model inputs. Predicted suitable habitat distributions revealed hotspots of the probability of pathogen presence in I. ricinus ticks mainly in the central and upper parts of the study area. Key environmental predictors were temperature, rainfall and altitude, and vegetation index for specific pathogens (Rickettsia and Anaplasma/Ehrlichia species). Increased risk of exposure to tick-borne pathogens upon tick bites in the predicted hotspot areas can, therefore, be expected. This provides useful information for public health risk managers in this and other similar regions.

Original languageEnglish
Article number836
Number of pages12
JournalPathogens
Volume13
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 by the authors.

Funding

This research was supported by the Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL), in the framework of BRIC 2019 project: "Development of integrated systems for geo-epidemiological data management for the assessment and prevention of occupational risk from tick-borne zoonoses" (Bando BRIC 2019_ID11).

FundersFunder number
Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL), in the framework of BRIC 2019 project2019_ID11

    Keywords

    • ecological niche modelling
    • Italy
    • Ixodes ricinus
    • Maxent
    • tick-borne diseases

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