Publications

a new pcr assay for the detection and differentiation of babesia canis and babesia vogeli.	babesia spp. are globally distributed tick-borne protozoan parasites that infect the red blood cells of a wide range of vertebrate hosts, including humans. diagnosis of babesiosis is often impeded by the transient presence of the parasites in peripheral blood, as well as by their pleomorphic nature. given the reports of an expanding and, in some cases, sympatric geographical distribution of babesia canis and babesia vogeli in dogs and associated vectors, in europe, the development of time-effici ...	2017	28739301
spread of dermacentor reticulatus is associated with the loss of forest area.	changes in tick distribution and abundance are among the main drivers of the (re)emergence of transmitted pathogens. we aimed to uncover the reasons of the reported spread of dermacentor reticulatus in poland using a variety of proxies of environmental features, ground-measured temperature and remotely-sensed data of temperature and vegetation. ground-measured temperature was recorded in 2013-2014, in sites where d. reticulatus presence (n = 16) or absence (n = 16) was confirmed. we specifically ...	2017	28831655
prevalence and distribution of borrelia and babesia species in ticks feeding on dogs in the u.k.	ticks were collected during march-july 2015 from dogs by veterinarians throughout the u.k. and used to estimate current prevalences and distributions of pathogens. dna was extracted from 4750 ticks and subjected to polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis to identify borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (spirochaetales: spirochaetaceae) and babesia (piroplasmida: babesiidae) species. of 4737 ticks [predominantly ixodes ricinus linneaus (ixodida: ixodidae)], b. burgdorferi s.l. was detected in ...	2017	28846148
evaluation of the efficacy of sarolaner (simparica®) in the prevention of babesiosis in dogs.	canine babesiosis is a clinically significant emerging vector-borne disease caused among others by the protozoan babesia canis. the efficacy of sarolaner (simparica®; zoetis; at the minimum recommended label dose of 2.0 mg per kg bodyweight) in the prevention of babesiosis was evaluated in twenty-four dogs randomly allocated to either a placebo-treated group or one of two sarolaner-treated groups. at 21 or 28 days after treatment administration, dogs were infested with 50 ± 4 dermacentor reticul ...	2017	28877743
variability of species of babesia starcovici, 1893 in three sympatric ticks (ixodes ricinus, dermacentor reticulatus and haemaphysalis concinna) at the edge of pannonia in the czech republic and slovakia.	the distribution, variability and host specificity of species of babesia starcovici, 1893 were studied in questing ticks collected on the northwestern edge of the pannonian basin in the south-easternmost part of the czech republic and in western slovakia. the area is characterised by relatively natural floodplain habitats and the sympatric occurrence of three tick species possessing wide host spectra, namely ixodes ricinus (linnaeus), dermacentor reticulatus (fabricius) and haemaphysalis concinn ...	2017	28906256
detection of cercopithifilaria bainae in western romania.	cercopithifilaria species are tick-transmitted filarial parasites of mammals. in europe, three cercopithifilaria spp. are known to parasitize dogs, all occurring mainly in the mediterranean countries. in romania, cercopithifilaria bainae has been reported in a single dog in eastern romania but the occurrence in other parts of the country is not known. to further elucidate the geographic distribution of cercopithifilaria spp. infection, 544 ticks were collected from dogs in several locations acro ...	2017	28956159
abundance of the tick dermacentor reticulatus in an ecosystem of abandoned meadows: experimental intervention and the critical importance of mowing.	the effect of agricultural activities on the environment has been falling in many areas of europe in recent years and the associated abandonment of crop fields, meadows and pastures may enable an increase in tick densities. in the present study we assessed whether regular mowing would have a negative effect on dermacentor reticulatus populations and whether the cessation of regular mowing would cause an increase in abundance of d. reticulatus ticks. two field experiments were conducted during a ...	2017	28969783
investigation of babesia spp. in sympatric populations of dermacentor reticulatus and ixodes ricinus ticks in lithuania and latvia.	the objectives of the present study were to investigate the presence of the babesia parasites in dermacentor reticulatus ticks along its current distribution range in lithuania and latvia, and ixodes ricinus in lithuania, to characterize the detected babesia spp. using partial sequencing of 18s rrnr gene, and to determine the prevalence of the babesia pathogens in ticks from different locations of lithuania and latvia. from 2013 to 2015, four d. reticulatus nymphs and 2255 questing adults were c ...	2017	28969995
laboratory evaluations of the immediate and sustained effectiveness of lotilaner (credelio™) against three common species of ticks affecting dogs in europe.	there is a continuing need for novel approaches to tick control in dogs. one such approach lies in the ability of lotilaner (credelio™), an isoxazoline with a rapid onset of action, to provide sustained efficacy against ticks. two studies were undertaken to confirm lotilaner's efficacy, at the minimum dose rate of 20 mg/kg, against the three most common tick species in europe.	2017	29089050
two randomized, controlled studies to assess the efficacy and safety of lotilaner (credelio™) in preventing dermacentor reticulatus transmission of babesia canis to dogs.	dogs worldwide are at risk of babesia spp. infections. preventive efficacy of lotilaner tablets (credelio™, elanco) against babesia canis was evaluated in two studies.	2017	29089056
a randomized, controlled study to assess the efficacy and safety of lotilaner (credelio™) in controlling ticks in client-owned dogs in europe.	oral administration of lotilaner flavoured chewable tablets (credelio™, elanco) to dogs has been shown to provide a rapid onset of killing activity of infesting ticks, with sustained efficacy for at least 35 days. a study was undertaken in europe to confirm lotilaner's safety and anti-tick efficacy in client-owned dogs.	2017	29089058
identification of dermacentor reticulatus ticks carrying rickettsia raoultii on migrating jackal, denmark.	from a migrating golden jackal (canis aureus), we retrieved 21 live male dermacentor reticulatus ticks, a species not previously reported from wildlife in denmark. we identified rickettsia raoultii from 18 (86%) of the ticks. this bacterium is associated with scalp eschar and neck lymphadenopathy after tick bite syndrome among humans.	2017	29148376
diversity of borrelia spirochetes and other zoonotic agents in ticks from kyiv, ukraine.	lyme borreliosis (lb) is caused by tick-borne spirochetes of the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. lb is the most prevalent vector-borne illness in ukraine, but current data on the prevalence of lb pathogens in their tick vector, ixodes ricinus, are lacking. i. ricinus ticks may also carry borrelia miyamotoi, an emerging relapsing fever group spirochete that has been implicated in human illness. despite its zoonotic potential, the prevalence of b. miyamotoi in ticks has not been examined ...	2017	29258801
prevalence of different rickettsia spp. in ixodes ricinus and dermacentor reticulatus ticks (acari: ixodidae) in north-eastern poland.	in two surveys conducted in april and may 2013, a total of 1148 unfed ticks belonging to two species, ixodes ricinus and dermacentor reticulatus, were collected by flagging lower vegetation in 15 different localities throughout the białowieża primeval forest (podlaskie voivodship; north-eastern poland) and in its buffer zone. in order to establish their infection rate with rickettsia spp. individual adult ticks and pooled nymphs were tested by real-time pcr targeting the glta gene. for the furth ...	2017	29290582
evaluation of a semi-automated in vitro feeding system for dermacentor reticulatus and ixodes ricinus adults.	the long feeding duration of ixodid ticks and need for regular blood changes turns the artificial feeding of ticks into a tedious process. to reduce the number of blood changes, a semi-automated system (sas) for the artificial feeding of hard ticks was developed and evaluated. it consisted of a glass feeding reservoir that can accommodate six tick feeding chambers. a peristaltic pump was used to pump blood through the feeding reservoir, which was changed once daily. groups of dermacentor reticul ...	2018	29297094
early babesia canis transmission in dogs within 24 h and 8 h of infestation with infected pre-activated male dermacentor reticulatus ticks.	this study was designed to assess the ability of fed male dermacentor reticulatus ticks to transmit babesia canis to dogs after being detached from previous canine or ovine hosts.	2018	29343275
first detection of murine herpesvirus 68 in adult ixodes ricinus ticks.	murine herpesvirus 68 (mhv-68) is a natural pathogen that infects murid rodents, which serves as hosts for ixodes ricinus ticks. for the first time, mhv-68 was detected in immature i. ricinus ticks feeding on lacerta viridis lizards trapped in slovakia, which supports the idea that ticks can acquire the virus from feeding on infected hosts. the recent discovery of mhv-68 infection and mhv-68 m3 gene transcripts in dermacentor reticulatus ticks collected in slovakia also supports this suggestion. ...	2018	29352410