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Pathogens
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Pathogens
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Pathogens
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The Impact of Altitude on Tick-Borne Pathogens at Two Mountain Ranges in Central Slovakia

Authors: Dana Zubriková; Lucia Blaňarová; Gabriela Hrkľová; Yaroslav Syrota; Jozef Macko; Dana Blahútová; Veronika Blažeková; +3 Authors

The Impact of Altitude on Tick-Borne Pathogens at Two Mountain Ranges in Central Slovakia

Abstract

Ticks are ectoparasites of a wide range of animals and are important vectors of numerous pathogens affecting humans, livestock, and pets. This study investigates possible correlations between selected factors, altitude, soil pH, and a factor called ‘amount’ (number of ticks examined in pooled samples) on the occurrence of I. ricinus ticks positive for selected tick-borne microorganisms. Questing I. ricinus ticks were collected in 2016 and 2017 across various altitudes, at two mountain ranges in central Slovakia. Tick pools were screened for the presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl), Babesia/Theileria spp., Rickettsia spp., and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) using molecular methods. Regression analysis was employed to evaluate relationships between selected factors and the occurrence of vector-borne microorganisms. This study revealed a statistically significant influence of altitude on the occurrence of A. phagocytophilum; increasing altitude of the sampling site was associated with increased probability of pathogen occurrence. For Babesia/Theileria spp., neither altitude nor soil pH significantly affected pathogen occurrence. The occurrence of Bbsl was notably impacted by both altitude and soil pH; higher altitudes were associated with a decreased probability of pathogen presence, whereas higher soil pH increased the likelihood of pathogen occurrence. The presence of Rickettsia in a pooled sample was not affected by altitude and soil pH, but the ‘amount’ factor was a significant predictor, increasing the probability of pathogen detection. Neither altitude nor soil pH had a significant impact on TBEV occurrence. The regression models showed moderate goodness-of-fit levels to the data, underscoring their utility in examining the role of altitude and soil pH on pathogen occurrence. However, they explained only a small portion of the overall variance in pathogen occurrence, indicating the presence of other significant factors not covered in this study.

Keywords

<i>Ixodes ricinus</i>, Slovakia, Babesia, Article, Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne, TBEV, soil pH, <i>Borrelia</i>, Animals, Rickettsia, Ixodes, abiotic factors, Altitude, R, <i>Rickettsia</i>, tick, <i>Babesia</i>/<i>Theileria</i>, Tick-Borne Diseases, Medicine, tick-borne pathogens, <i>Anaplasma</i>, altitude, Anaplasma phagocytophilum

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
4
Top 10%
Average
Top 10%
Green
gold