Tick-borne pathogens in Finland: comparison of Ixodes ricinus and I. persulcatus in sympatric and parapatric areas.

• Published in: Parasites & Vectors
• Main Authors: Laaksonen, Maija, Klemola, Tero, Feuth, Eeva, Sormunen, Jani J, Puisto, Anna, Mäkelä, Satu, Penttinen, Ritva, Ruohomäki, Kai, Hänninen, Jari, Sääksjärvi, Ilari E, Vuorinen, Ilppo, Sprong, Hein, Hytönen, Jukka, Vesterinen, Eero J
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Northern Finland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10029/622303; https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-018-3131-y

Almost 3500 tick samples, originally collected via a nationwide citizen science campaign in 2015, were screened to reveal the prevalence and distribution of a wide spectrum of established and putative tick-borne pathogens vectored by Ixodes ricinus and I. persulcatus in Finland. The unique geographical distribution of these two tick species in Finland allowed us to compare pathogen occurrence between an I. ricinus-dominated area (southern Finland), an I. persulcatus-dominated area (northern Finland), and a sympatric area (central Finland).