Kniazeva et al.
The prevalence of different human pathogenic microorganisms transmitted by Ixodes tick vectors in Belarus.
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2020, in press, doi: 10.1089/vbz.2020.2675
Data about ticks and tick-borne diseases is limited in Belarus. A study has been carried out by collecting ticks by dragging in all six administrative districts of Belarus from April to October 2017. A total of 504 questing ticks were collected from which 77% were identified as Ixodes ricinus and 23% were Dermacentor reticulatus.
In total, 80.8% of the ticks habored at least one pathogenic microorganism, and 18.6% of the ticks were coinfected with at least two pathogens. Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. and Rickettsia ssp. were the most commonly detected pathogens (31.08% and 33.7%) in the ticks. Anaplasma phagocytophilum was found in 20.63% and Ehrlichia muris in 16.47%). TBE virus was detected in 16.47% of the collected ticks. The most significant TBE foci were found in the districts Vitebsk, Gomel, and Mogilev in northern eastern and southern Belarus.