Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato-infected Ixodes ricinus collected from vegetation near the Arctic Circle

• Published in: Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases
• Main Authors: Hvidsten, Dag, Stordal, Frode, Lager, Malin, Rognerud, Bjørg, Kristiansen, Bjørn Erik, Matussek, Andreas, Gray, Jeremy, Stuen, Snorre
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2015
• Subjects: Ixodes ricinus; Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato; Borrelia spp; Prevalence; Tick density; Arctic Circle; VDP::Medisinske Fag: 700::Basale medisinske; odontologiske og veterinærmedisinske fag: 710::Medisinsk mikrobiologi: 715; VDP::Medical disciplines: 700::Basic medical; dental and veterinary science disciplines: 710::Medical microbiology: 715; Arctic; Norway; Brønnøy; Northern Norway
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10037/9011; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.07.002

Published version also available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.07.002 This is the first study to determine the density of questing Ixodes ricinus in northern Norway. It was performed at two sites in Brønnøy, which has been known for its tick permissive habitats for decades and is one of the northernmost habitats with an abundant I. ricinus population in the world. From April to November 2011, all stages of host-seeking I. ricinus were collected from the two sites. The overall prevalence of nymphs infected with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was 21% and that of adultticks 46%. The rates of the genospecies Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia garinii, and Borrelia valaisiana were similar to findings in most other studies in Scandinavia, with B. afzelii by far the most prevalent at 76%. The high Borrelia-infection prevalence in ticks from Brønnøy may explain the high incidence rate of reported Lyme borreliosis in the municipality.