Seasonal and habitat variation in the prevalence of Rickettsia helvetica in Ixodes ricinus ticks from Denmark

Bjørn Kantsø, Claus Bo Svendsen, Per Moestrup Jensen, Vennestrøm Jean Grønbek, Karen A. Krogfelt

    29 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    A total of 704 unfed ticks of the species Ixodes ricinus collected in Denmark were screened for Rickettsia DNA by a genus-specific real-time PCR. Of the nymphs, 4.7% (31/662) were positive for rickettsial DNA. Among the positive ticks, we observed a seasonal and habitat variation. The infection rate was highest in May as compared to July, August, and October. Ecotone (high tick density) showed an elevated prevalence as compared to spruce or beech forests. Sequencing revealed only DNA from R. helvetica.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalTicks and Tick-borne Diseases
    Volume1
    Issue number2
    Pages (from-to)101-103
    Number of pages3
    ISSN1877-959X
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jun 2010

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