Presence of the zoonotic borrelia Burgdorferi sl. and Rickettsia spp. in the ticks from wild tortoises and hedgehogs

Abstract

Objective: Rickettsiosis and borreliosis are two important tick-borne diseases. The presence of causative agents of these diseases was investigated in ticks collected from wild tortoises and hedgehogs in Thrace region of Turkey. Method: A total of 438 ticks of all life stages were screened for Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. and Rickettsia spp., by employing nested PCR. Results: Of 28 pools of tortoise ticks, eigth pools gave positive results for only Rickettsia spp., while two pools for both Rickettsia spp. and B. burgodferi s.l. No pathogen was detected in four pools of hedgehog ticks, but one pool including I. ricinus nymphs was positive for Rickettsia spp. Conclusion: The study revealed once again that tortoises and hedgehogs should be taken into account in terms of zoonotic diseases.