Incidence of "Ixodes ricinus" ticks as vectors of tick-borne diseases in urban parks

Ixodes ricinus is the most prominent vector tick in Europe with a long list of transmitted human pathogenic organisms. Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) are major health problems for populations in endemic areas of the northern hemisphere. The aim of this study was to assess the density of ticks and estimate the risk of human infection with the agents of Lyme borreliosis (Borrelia burgdorferi s.l.) and TBE in urban parks. Ticks were collected from the vegetation in 2003, 2006, 2007, and 2008 in 8 urban parks in Kaunas, Lithuania. The presence of B. burgdorferi s.l. was determined in a total of 476 I. ricinus ticks using a single-step polymerase chain reaction. The density of ticks varied in different parks, and the prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l. in ticks ranged from 0.9 to 12.6% in 2003, from 11.3 to 22.5% in 2006, and from 3.8 to 13.5% in 2007. According to the Kaunas Society Health Center and our results, it is possible to predict that the risk of human infection with the agents of Lyme borreliosis and TBE diverges in different urban territoriesBiologijos katedraVytauto Didžiojo universiteta