Risk to human health posed by Ixodes ricinus ticks in relation to diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities in south-eastern Poland
Keywords:
Ixodes ricinus, tick abundance, medical care, population structureAbstract
Introduction. Ixodes ricinus – tick of a great medical and veterinary importance is a common species in south-eastern Poland. The major threat is associated with the direct effects of its parasitism, and transmission of numerous pathogens, e.g. Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, tick-borne encephalitis virus, Rickettsia helvetica and Babesia spp. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the incidence of Lyme disease and TBE in Poland; in years 2000-2007 there has been a 20-fold and over 2-fold increase in the incidence of Lyme disease in the Lublin Province and in the Podkarpackie Province (2.24 to 22.8 and 11.47 to 22.8 respectively).
Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of tick-borne disease diagnosis in south-eastern Poland, an area of numerous habitats of Ixodes ricinus, and to assess the risk of tick attacks in biologically diverse biotopes frequently visited by tourists and residents for recreational purposes.
Material and methods. The investigations were carried out in of south-eastern Poland in the years 2003-2006. Ticks were collected using the flagging method and identifed to species, sex and developmental stage. Data on health care facilities and medical staff involved in diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne diseases were obtained from the Statistics Directory of Health Care.
Conclusions. The differences in the abundance of I. ricinus populations as well as nymphs and adults can be explained by the different structure of the biotopes in the study habitats that provides favourable conditions for ticks and hosts of their various developmental stages. Analysis of the organization of health services and number of medical staff (general practitioners, dermatologists, internists and neurologists, diagnosticians and nurses) indicates possible difficulties with diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne diseases in the area.
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