BACKGROUND: Borrelia miyamotoi and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) are important zoonotic agents transmitted by Ixodes ricinus ticks, which are widely distributed across Central Europe. Understanding the spatial distribution of these pathogens' prevalence will help identify areas with increased infection risk and facilitate the implementation of effective preventive measures. METHODS: We analysed 12,955 I. ricinus ticks collected from 142 towns in the Czech Republic between 2016 and 2018. The ticks were pooled into 2591 groups of five and tested using duplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for the presence of B. burgdorferi s.l. and B. miyamotoi. For each location, we estimated the overall prevalence of both agents using the EpiTools Epidemiological Calculator for pooled samples and calculated the minimum infection rate (MIR). To assess the potential risk of infection, we combined data on the abundance of nymphs and females with pathogen prevalence at each sampled site. Using a geographic information system (GIS), we mapped the MIR and infection risk of both Borrelia species across all 142 sampled locations and employed a geostatistical method (ordinary kriging) to predict MIR values and infection risk as continuous surfaces across the entire country. RESULTS: We detected B. miyamotoi in 110 localities and B. burgdorferi s.l. in all 142 localities. The estimated prevalence of B. miyamotoi and B. burgdorferi s.l. in the collected ticks was 2.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8-2.3) and 27.1% (95% CI 26.0-28.3), respectively. For B. miyamotoi, we identified previously unknown, geographically distinct hotspots of MIR up to 8.3%, with MIR slightly higher in females (2.3%) than in males (1.9%) and nymphs (1.8%), though the difference was not statistically significant. In contrast, B. burgdorferi s.l. exhibited ubiquitous presence, with consistently high prevalence nationwide, showing similar MIRs in females (16.2%) and males (16.1%), and slightly lower in nymphs (15.6%). The highest infection risk for B. miyamotoi was 12.4 infected vectors per hour in southeastern Moravia, while the highest risk for B. burgdorferi s.l. reached 78.6 infected vectors per hour in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. CONCLUSIONS: Borrelia miyamotoi is widespread, forming distinct high-prevalence areas in certain regions. Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. demonstrates consistently high prevalence across most of the country, except for a few localized areas such as southwestern Czechia. Both pathogens exhibit natural nidality, forming regions with elevated prevalence and infection risk. Long-term time-series data are needed to confirm the spatio-temporal stability of these hotspots.

CEITEC Central European Institute of Technology University of Veterinary Sciences Brno Brno Czech Republic

Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology University of Veterinary Sciences Brno Palackého tř 1946 1 61242 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Ecology and Diseases of Zoo Animals Game Fish and Bees University of Veterinary Sciences Brno Brno Czech Republic

Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences Faculty of Science Palacký University Olomouc Šlechtitelů 27 78371 Olomouc Czech Republic

Department of Geography Korea University 145 Anam Ro Seongbuk Gu Seoul 02841 Republic of Korea

Department of Zoology Faculty of Science Palacký University Olomouc Šlechtitelů 27 78371 Olomouc Czech Republic

Zobrazit více v PubMed

Crowder CD, Carolan HE, Rounds MA, Honig V, Mothes B, Haag H, et al. Prevalence of PubMed DOI PMC

Cutler S, Vayssier-Taussat M, Estrada-Pena A, Potkonjak A, Mihalca AD, Zeller H. A new PubMed DOI PMC

Scoles GA, Papero M, Beati L, Fish D. A relapsing fever group spirochete transmitted by PubMed DOI

Cleveland DW, Anderson CC, Brissette CA. PubMed PMC

Taylor KR, Takano A, Konnai S, Shimozuru M, Kawabata H, Tsubota T. PubMed DOI

Platonov AE, Karan LS, Kolyasnikova NM, Makhneva NA, Toporkova MG, Maleev VV, et al. Humans infected with relapsing fever spirochete PubMed DOI PMC

Gugliotta JL, Goethert HK, Berardi VP, Telford SR 3rd. Meningoencephalitis from PubMed DOI PMC

Estrada-Pena A, Ortega C, Sanchez N, Desimone L, Sudre B, Suk JE, et al. Correlation of PubMed DOI PMC

Eisen L. Vector competence studies with hard ticks and PubMed DOI PMC

van Duijvendijk G, Coipan C, Wagemakers A, Fonville M, Ersoz J, Oei A, et al. Larvae of PubMed DOI PMC

Mysterud A, Stigum VM, Jaarsma RI, Sprong H. Genospecies of PubMed DOI PMC

Wolcott KA, Margos G, Fingerle V, Becker NS. Host association of PubMed DOI

Steere AC. Lyme disease. N Engl J Med. 1989;321:586–96. 10.1056/NEJM198908313210906. PubMed DOI

Vaclavik T, Balazova A, Balaz V, Tkadlec E, Schichor M, Zechmeisterova K, et al. Landscape epidemiology of neglected tick-borne pathogens in central Europe. Transbound Emerg Dis. 2021;68:1685–96. 10.1111/tbed.13845. PubMed DOI

Nosek J, Sixl W. Central-European ticks (Ixodea). Key for determination. Mitt. Abt. Zool. Landesmus. Joanneum. 1972;1:61–92.

Barbour AG, Bunikis J, Travinsky B, Hoen AG, Diuk-Wasser MA, Fish D, et al. Niche partitioning of PubMed DOI PMC

Balazova A, Noskova E, Siroky P, Durrant C, Balaz V. Diversity and dynamics of zoonotic pathogens within a local community of small mammals. Biologia. 2021;76:3267–73. DOI

Sergeant ESG: Epitools Epidemiological Calculators. Ausvet. http://epitools.ausvet.com.au (2018).

Cowling DW, Gardner IA, Johnson WO. Comparison of methods for estimation of individual-level prevalence based on pooled samples. Prev Vet Med. 1999;39:211–25. 10.1016/s0167-5877(98)00131-7. PubMed DOI

Wackernagel H. Multivariate geostatistics: An introduction with applications. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg; 2003. Pp. XV, 388. 10.1007/978-3-662-05294-5.

Hoornstra D, Azagi T, van Eck JA, Wagemakers A, Koetsveld J, Spijker R, et al. Prevalence and clinical manifestation of PubMed DOI

Honig V, Carolan HE, Vavruskova Z, Massire C, Mosel MR, Crowder CD, et al. Broad-range survey of vector-borne pathogens and tick host identification of PubMed DOI PMC

Kubiak K, Szczotko M, Dmitryjuk M. PubMed DOI PMC

Kybicova K, Bastova K, Maly M. Detection of PubMed DOI

Richtrova E, Michalova P, Lukavska A, Navratil J, Kybicova K. PubMed DOI

Kriz B, Maly M, Balatova P, Kodym P, Kurzova Z, Daniel M, et al. A serological study of antibodies to PubMed DOI