A review on the role of birds as disseminators of ticks, with special emphasis on Hyalomma species and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus.

Hyalomma marginatum and Hyalomma rufipes are tick species of high medical importance, primarily due to their ability to transmit the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus. While H. marginatum is endemic in Southern Europe, H.

Hyalomma rufipes of Asian origin transported to Europe by a migrant bird.

Hyalomma rufipes is one of the most epidemiologically important ticks in Africa and the Middle East. It is regularly transported by migratory birds and there are chances that these ticks may become sources for the emergence of resident populations in the temperate region due to recent changes in climatic conditions. In May 2023, a Hylomma sp.

Ixodid ticks of Western Palearctic bats: ecology, host-parasite relationships, geographic distribution and zoonotic importance.

Bats in the Western Palearctic are host for diverse array of ectoparasites, including three ixodid ticks (, , and ), which are highly specialized to parasitize these mammals. In this study we collected and analyzed 3,965 host-tick records across 31 bat species from published literature, online sources, and unpublished field data. Individual bat-specialist ticks showed distinct host preferences, with cave-dwelling bats accounting for over 90% of all records.

Contrasting effects of body condition on ectoparasite abundance in a social bat: different roles of season and host sex.

Understanding the interplay between host species ecology and parasite dynamics is crucial for comprehending disease transmission patterns, population structures, and ecosystem health. In most host-parasite systems, host body condition is of primary importance in ectoparasite host choice. Bats were considered an exception, as previously several studies suggested that bat ectoparasites showed no or minimal dependence on host body condition.

Climate land use and other drivers' impacts on island ecosystem services: A global review.

Islands are diversity hotspots and vulnerable to environmental degradation, climate variations, land use changes and societal crises. These factors can exhibit interactive impacts on ecosystem services. The study reviewed a large number of papers on the climate change-islands-ecosystem services topic worldwide.

Pet and wild rodents as hosts of Giardia duodenalis in Central Europe, Hungary.

Rodents (Mammalia: Rodentia) are among the ubiquitous hosts of Giardia duodenalis, as they can harbour at least six assemblages of this species, including the zoonotic assemblages A and B. However, studies targeting a broad spectrum of rodents and rabbits sampled in the same region are scarce, even in Europe. During this study, 164 samples were collected from five rodent species and rabbits in five locations in Hungary, to examine the presence of G.

Bat-associated ticks as a potential link for vector-borne pathogen transmission between bats and other animals.

Background: Potentially zoonotic pathogens have been previously detected in bat-associated ticks, but their role in disease transmission and their frequency of feeding on non-bat hosts is poorly known.

Methodology/principal Findings: We used molecular blood meal analysis to reveal feeding patterns of the bat-associated tick species Ixodes ariadnae, I. simplex, and I.

East-to-west dispersal of bird-associated ixodid ticks in the northern Palaearctic: Review of already reported tick species according to longitudinal migratory avian hosts and first evidence on the genetic connectedness of between Siberia and Europe.

Birds are long-known as important disseminators of ixodid ticks, in which context mostly their latitudinal, south-to-north migration is considered. However, several bird species that occur in the eastern part of the northern Palaearctic are known to migrate westward. In this study, a female tick collected from the sedge warbler, , in Lithuania was identified morphologically and analyzed with molecular-phylogenetic methods.

Fleas of wild carnivores in Romania: diversity, distribution, and host-associations.

Background: Fleas are important hematophagous insects, infesting mammals and birds with a worldwide distribution. Fleas of medical importance have been reported from various carnivores worldwide, such as felids, canids, or mustelids. Romania hosts a wide carnivore diversity, but very little is known about flea species that parasitize these animals in Romania.

Season and host-community composition inside roosts may affect host-specificity of bat flies.

Bat flies are one of the most abundant ectoparasites of bats, showing remarkable morphological adaptations to the parasitic habit, while the relationship with their hosts is characterized by a high level of specificity. By collecting bat flies from live hosts, our intention was to elucidate the seasonal differences in bat fly occurrence and to describe factors regulating the level of incipient host specificity. Our results indicate that the prevalence and the intensity of infestation is increasing from spring to autumn for most host species, with significant differences among different fly species.

Bat Ectoparasites (Acari, Diptera, Hemiptera, Siphonaptera) in the Grand Maghreb (Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia): A Literature Review and New Data.

Background: Arthropods parasites of bats play a crucial role in both ecological and public health contexts, as they have the potential to transmit zoonotic agents. The study aims to identify the distribution, and host-parasite associations of bat ectoparasites in the Grand Maghreb region (Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia), which has been largely understudied.

Methods: A thorough analysis of published records was conducted and we included our own field data.

First record of Ixodes (Scaphixodes) caledonicus in the Carpathian Basin and first time molecular-phylogenetic analysis of this tick species with updated host records and geographical range.

Four Ixodes species represent the subgenus Scaphixodes Schulze, 1941 in Europe, but none of them were reported to be compared in a molecular-phylogenetic context. This study compensates for this lack of data. A tick larva, morphologically identified as Ixodes (Scaphixodes) caledonicus Nuttall, 1910, was collected from an Alpine swift (Tachymarptis melba) during its nesting period in Transylvania, Romania.

Toxoplasma gondii in small mammals in Romania: the influence of host, season and sampling location.

Background: Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects a large spectrum of warm-blooded animals, including humans. Small rodents and insectivores play an important role in the epidemiology of T. gondii and may serve as a source of infection for both, domestic and wild definitive felid hosts.

The Role of Wild Boars in the Circulation of Tick-Borne Pathogens: The First Evidence of Presence.

Most wild mammals can serve as hosts both for tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) and for the ticks themselves. Among these, wild boars, due to their large body size, habitat and life span, show high exposure to ticks and TBPs. These species are now one of the widest-ranging mammals in the world, as well as the most widespread suid.

Ornithological and molecular evidence of a reproducing population under continental climate in Europe.

Reports on adult ticks in certain regions of the Carpathian Basin date back to the 19th century. These ticks were thought to emerge from nymphs dropping from birds, then molting to adults. Although the role of migratory birds in carrying ticks of this genus is known from all parts of Europe, in most countries no contemporaneous multiregional surveillance of bird-associated ticks was reported which could allow the recognition of hotspots in this context.

An update on the occurrence of flies (Diptera: Muscidae, Calliphoridae) and sucking lice (Phthiraptera: Anoplura) of veterinary importance in Malta: First record of and .

To obtain new data on the species diversity, host associations and spatiotemporal occurrence of flies and blood-sucking lice of veterinary importance in Malta, ectoparasites were collected at cattle, sheep and goat, pig farms, as well as dog shelters, and in two places in the absence of domestic animals. The species were identified morphologically, but voucher specimens were also analyzed with molecular-phylogenetic methods following DNA extraction. Altogether 3,095 flies (Diptera: Muscidae, Calliphoridae) were collected at farms and kennels near domestic animals, as well as 37 blowflies (Calliphoridae) in rural and urban areas without animals nearby.

Phylogenetic analyses of Ixodes rugicollis with notes on its morphology in comparison with Ixodes cornutus.

Background: The subgenus Pholeoixodes contains Ixodes species typically associated with birds that nest in cavities or with carnivorous mammals that are burrow-dwelling. Among ticks infesting the latter, Ixodes rugicollis is regarded as the rarest species in the western Palearctic. Despite the unique morphology of this species, its identification (especially of subadult stages) is difficult, and molecular-phylogenetic data to offer other diagnostic methods and a better understanding of its taxonomy are not available.

Molecular epidemiological study of focusing on central and southeastern Europe.

is a geographically widespread protozoan parasite of birds. In this study, oropharyngeal swab samples were collected in Hungary and Romania from 99 columbiform birds, including 76 feral pigeons (: 42 kept for racing, 32 with urban and two with rural habitat), four common wood pigeons (), 16 ring doves () and three Eurasian collared doves (). These samples were analyzed for the presence of using molecular methods.

Shift in the seasonality of ixodid ticks after a warm winter in an urban habitat with notes on morphotypes of Ixodes ricinus and data in support of cryptic species within Ixodes frontalis.

This study was initiated to assess the seasonality and to investigate the morphology of questing ixodid ticks in an urban habitat in Central Europe, Hungary. A neglected part of a large cemetery, with sparse tree covering and dense lower vegetation, was sampled monthly from February 2019 to May 2021. All ticks were analyzed morphologically, and selected specimens by amplifying and sequencing two genetic markers.

Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) associated with birds in Europe: Review of literature data.

Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are considered the most important transmitters of pathogens in the temperate zone that covers most of Europe. In the era of climate change tick-borne diseases are predicted to undergo geographical range expansion toward the north through regions that are connected to southern areas of the continent by bird migration. This alone would justify the importance of synthesized knowledge on the association of tick species with avian hosts, yet birds also represent the most taxonomically and ecologically diverse part of urban vertebrate fauna.