BACKGROUND: Ticks in Europe comprise over 100 species, with Ixodes, Rhipicephalus, Dermacentor, and Haemaphysalis being the most prevalent. Ixodes ricinus is the most widespread, while Dermacentor reticulatus is common in central Europe. Rhipicephalus sanguineus has expanded into temperate regions, affecting tick-host interactions and pathogen transmission. Companion animals, especially dogs and cats, are common tick hosts and vectors for pathogens such as borreliosis, anaplasmosis, and canine babesiosis. This study investigates the prevalence and species composition of ticks infesting dogs and cats in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania, focusing on seasonal trends and pathogen occurrence. METHODS: From 2020 to 2022, ticks were collected from dogs and cats during veterinary consultations across five countries. A total of 4563 ticks were identified morphologically, and 1085 were screened for pathogens, including Babesia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia canis, and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. RESULTS: I. ricinus was the predominant species (65.0%), followed by D. reticulatus (29.8%) and R. sanguineus (3.8%). Ticks were present year-round, with peaks in spring and autumn. Of the 1085 tested ticks, 29.0% were positive for at least one pathogen, with A. phagocytophilum being the most common (15.0%). B. burgdorferi s.l. was detected in 7.0% of ticks, and Babesia spp. in 6.5%, predominantly B. canis. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the year-round risk of tick infestations and vector-borne pathogen transmission in dogs and cats in Central Europe, underscoring the need for ongoing tick surveillance. Veterinary practitioners should enhance public awareness about ticks and associated health risks for companion animals.

• Klíčová slova
• Dermacentor reticulatus, Ixodes hexagonus, Ixodes ricinus, Cat, Central European Region, Companion animals, Dog, Ticks, Vector-borne,
• MeSH
• Anaplasma phagocytophilum izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• Babesia izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• biodiverzita MeSH
• Borrelia burgdorferi izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• infestace klíšťaty * veterinární   epidemiologie   parazitologie   MeSH
• Ixodidae * mikrobiologie   klasifikace   MeSH
• klíšťata * mikrobiologie   klasifikace   parazitologie   MeSH
• kočky parazitologie   MeSH
• nemoci koček * parazitologie   epidemiologie   MeSH
• nemoci přenášené klíšťaty * veterinární   epidemiologie   mikrobiologie   MeSH
• nemoci psů * parazitologie   epidemiologie   MeSH
• psi parazitologie   MeSH
• roční období MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• kočky parazitologie   MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• psi parazitologie   MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika epidemiologie   MeSH
• Maďarsko epidemiologie   MeSH
• Polsko epidemiologie   MeSH
• Rumunsko epidemiologie   MeSH
• Slovenská republika epidemiologie   MeSH

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a viral disease endemic in Eurasia. The virus is mainly transmitted to humans via ticks and occasionally via the consumption of unpasteurized milk products. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported an increase in TBE incidence over the past years in Europe as well as the emergence of the disease in new areas. To better understand this phenomenon, we investigated the drivers of TBE emergence and increase in incidence in humans through an expert knowledge elicitation. We listed 59 possible drivers grouped in eight domains and elicited forty European experts to: (i) allocate a score per driver, (ii) weight this score within each domain, and (iii) weight the different domains and attribute an uncertainty level per domain. An overall weighted score per driver was calculated, and drivers with comparable scores were grouped into three terminal nodes using a regression tree analysis. The drivers with the highest scores were: (i) changes in human behavior/activities; (ii) changes in eating habits or consumer demand; (iii) changes in the landscape; (iv) influence of humidity on the survival and transmission of the pathogen; (v) difficulty to control reservoir(s) and/or vector(s); (vi) influence of temperature on virus survival and transmission; (vii) number of wildlife compartments/groups acting as reservoirs or amplifying hosts; (viii) increase of autochthonous wild mammals; and (ix) number of tick species vectors and their distribution. Our results support researchers in prioritizing studies targeting the most relevant drivers of emergence and increasing TBE incidence.

• Klíčová slova
• Dermacentor reticulatus, TBEV, clustering analysis, drivers, expert elicitation, flavivirus, genus Ixodes, multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), sensitivity analysis, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), ticks, uncertainty,
• MeSH
• Dermacentor * MeSH
• divoká zvířata MeSH
• klíště * MeSH
• klíšťová encefalitida * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• savci MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Evropa epidemiologie   MeSH

BACKGROUND: The range of the ornate dog tick Dermacentor reticulatus is rapidly expanding in Europe. This tick species is the vector of canine babesiosis, caused by Babesia canis, and also plays a role in the transmission of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in equids. METHODS: The geographic range of D. reticulatus in the Czech Republic was re-assessed, and an up-to-date distribution map is presented based on material and data obtained during a nationwide citizen science campaign. Received and flagged individuals of D. reticulatus were also analysed for the presence of B. canis DNA. RESULTS: In striking contrast to historical records, D. reticulatus was found in all regions of the Czech Republic, with most reports coming from the southeast and northwest of the country. Between February 2018 and June 2021, the project team received 558 photo reports of ticks and 250 packages containing ticks. Of the former, 71.1% were identified as Dermacentor sp. with the remainder identified as Ixodes sp., Haemaphysalis sp., Argas sp. or Hyalomma sp. The majority of specimens in the subset of ticks that were received (N = 610) were D. reticulatus (N = 568, 93.7%), followed by Ixodes ricinus and Hyalomma spp. A total of 783 adult D. reticulatus, either received (568) or collected by flagging (215), were tested for the presence of B. canis DNA using species-specific nested PCR targeting part of the 18S rRNA gene; B. canis DNA was demonstrated in 22 samples (2.81%). CONCLUSIONS: The continuous spread of D. reticulatus in the Czech Republic was documented in this study. In addition, DNA of B. canis was also detected in a number of ticks, suggesting the establishment of B. canis in the Czech Republic. These results suggest that veterinarians need to consider the possibility of canine babesiosis even in dogs without a history of travel.

• Klíčová slova
• Babesia canis, Citizen science, Czech Republic, Dermacentor reticulatus, Europe, Geographic distribution,
• MeSH
• Babesia * genetika   MeSH
• babezióza * epidemiologie   MeSH
• Dermacentor * MeSH
• infestace klíšťaty * epidemiologie   veterinární   MeSH
• Ixodidae * MeSH
• klíště * MeSH
• nemoci psů * epidemiologie   MeSH
• občanská věda * MeSH
• psi MeSH
• Rhipicephalus sanguineus * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• psi MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika epidemiologie   MeSH

BACKGROUND: Babesia spp. are apicomplexan parasites which infect a wide range of mammalian hosts. Historically, most Babesia species were described based on the assumed host specificity and morphological features of the intraerythrocytic stages. New DNA-based approaches challenge the traditional species concept and host specificity in Babesia. Using such tools, the presence of Babesia DNA was reported in non-specific mammalian hosts, including B. canis in feces and tissues of insectivorous bats, opening questions on alternative transmission routes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate if B. canis DNA can be detected in tissues of laboratory rodents following oral inoculation with infected ticks. METHODS: Seventy-five questing adult Dermacentor reticulatus ticks were longitudinally cut in two halves and pooled. Each pool consisted of halves of 5 ticks, resulting in two analogous sets. One pool set (n = 15) served for DNA extraction, while the other set (n = 15) was used for oral inoculation of experimental animals (Mus musculus, line CD-1 and Meriones unguiculatus). Blood was collected three times during the experiment (before the inoculation, at 14 days post-inoculation and at 30 days post-inoculation). All animals were euthanized 30 days post-inoculation. At necropsy, half of the heart, lung, liver, spleen and kidneys were collected from each animal. The presence of Babesia DNA targeting the 18S rRNA gene was evaluated from blood and tissues samples. For histopathology, the other halves of the tissues were used. Stained blood smears were used for the light microscopy detection of Babesia. RESULTS: From the 15 pools of D. reticulatus used for the oral inoculation, six were PCR-positive for B. canis. DNA of B. canis was detected in blood and tissues of 33.3% of the animals (4 out of 12) inoculated with a B. canis-positive pool. No Babesia DNA was detected in the other 18 animals which received B. canis-negative tick pools. No Babesia was detected during the histological examination and all blood smears were microscopically negative. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that B. canis DNA can be detected in tissues of mammalian hosts following ingestion of infected ticks and opens the question of alternative transmission routes for piroplasms.

• Klíčová slova
• Babesia canis, Dermacentor reticulatus, Gerbil, Mouse, Oral inoculation,
• MeSH
• aplikace orální MeSH
• Babesia genetika   MeSH
• babezióza krev   parazitologie   MeSH
• Dermacentor parazitologie   MeSH
• Gerbillinae MeSH
• hlodavci parazitologie   MeSH
• infestace klíšťaty parazitologie   MeSH
• myši MeSH
• protozoální DNA analýza   MeSH
• RNA ribozomální 18S genetika   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• myši MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• protozoální DNA MeSH
• RNA ribozomální 18S MeSH

BACKGROUND: Tick-borne rickettsial diseases are caused by pathogens acquired from hard ticks. In particular, Rickettsia slovaca, a zoonotic infectious bacterium causing tick-borne lymphadenopathy (TIBOLA), is transmitted by the vectors Dermacentor spp. that can be found all over Europe. Although recent studies point out the extreme complexity of bacteria-induced effects in these blood-feeding vectors, the knowledge of individual molecules involved in the preservation and transmission of the pathogen is still limited. System biology tools, including proteomics, may contribute greatly to the understanding of pathogen-tick-host interactions. METHODS: Herein, we performed a comparative proteomics study of the tick vector Dermacentor reticulatus that was experimentally infected with the endosymbiotic bacterium R. slovaca. Rickettsia-free ticks, collected in the southern region of Slovakia, were infected with the bacterium by a capillary tube-feeding system, and the dynamics of infection was assessed by quantitative PCR method after 5, 10, 15 and 27 days. RESULTS: At the stage of controlled proliferation (at 27 dpi), 33 (from 481 profiled) differentially abundant protein spots were detected on a two-dimensional gel. From the aforementioned protein spots, 21 were successfully identified by tandem mass spectrometry. CONCLUSIONS: Although a few discovered proteins were described as having structural or housekeeping functions, the vast majority of the affected proteins were suggested to be essential for tick attachment and feeding on the host, host immune system evasion and defensive response modulation to ensure successful pathogen transmission.

• Klíčová slova
• Bacterial transmission, Blood-feeding, Comparative proteomics, Immune modulation, Protective antigens, TIBOLA, Tick vector,
• MeSH
• Dermacentor genetika   mikrobiologie   MeSH
• DNA bakterií MeSH
• infekce přenášené vektorem MeSH
• nemoci přenášené klíšťaty mikrobiologie   přenos   MeSH
• polymerázová řetězová reakce MeSH
• proteomika * MeSH
• Rickettsia genetika   patogenita   MeSH
• rickettsiové infekce přenos   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Slovenská republika MeSH
• Názvy látek
• DNA bakterií MeSH

In Romania, data regarding hard-tick diversity and tick-host associations in wild carnivores are scarce. We aimed to identify tick species in wild carnivores and to establish reliable data on tick-host associations. The study was conducted in various Romanian localities from all five ecoregions found in the country. Fourteen species of wild carnivores were examined. Immature and adult ticks were collected and identified using the morphological keys. The frequency and mean intensity of tick infestation, overall and differentiated by species, developmental stage and host were calculated. Of 202 wild carnivores, 68 were parasitized by seven tick species (predominantly Ixodes ricinus, I. hexagonus and Dermacentor reticulatus). The mean intensity of tick infestation was similar in males (6.97, BCa 95% CI 5.15-9.88) and females (5.76, BCa 95% CI 4.15-9.17). The highest prevalence of infested animals was recorded in the pannonian and steppic ecoregions, 66.7 and 52.7%, respectively. In the continental ecoregion the prevalence was 26.7%, whereas in the pontic ecoregion it was 28%. The lowest value, 16.7% was recorded in the alpine ecoregion. In total 430 ticks were collected, and 24.8% (n = 50) of the animals were infested with more than one tick species. Fourteen new tick-host associations were recorded. Our results suggest that anthropogenic changes of the environment lead to the diminishing of the boundaries, between wild and domestic animals, increasing the exposure for both animals and humans, to infective agents, including tick-borne pathogens.

• Klíčová slova
• Dermacentor spp., Haemaphysalis spp., Ixodes spp., Rhipicephalus spp., Tick–host associations, Wildlife,
• MeSH
• Carnivora * MeSH
• divoká zvířata MeSH
• infestace klíšťaty epidemiologie   parazitologie   veterinární   MeSH
• Ixodidae růst a vývoj   fyziologie   MeSH
• larva fyziologie   MeSH
• nymfa fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Rumunsko epidemiologie   MeSH