Borrelia in ticks feeding on Migrating Birds in Lithuania and Norway

Abstract

Birds are known to carry several pathogenic agents of human disease. To define the role of migrating birds as reservoir and disseminators of Borrelia pathogens in Lithuania and Norway we analysed immature stage of ticks feeding on different passerine bird species and questing ticks. During the spring-summer 2006-2007 185 birds representing 35 species were live-captured in Lithuania and southern Norway. A total of 668 immature stages of I. ricinus ticks were collected from birds. Ticks were investigated for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi, B. afzelii, B. garinii and B. valaisiana pathogens by using molecular detection methods (PCR, RT-PCR). The most frequently tick-infested found species was blackbird (Turdus merula). Six of these passerine bird species (T. merula, T. philomelos, T. pilaris, Sturnus vulgaris, Fringilla coelebs, Carpodacus erythrinus) harboured Borrelia infected ticks – causative agent of borreliosis (Lyme disease). The results of the study indicate different role of passerine birds in ecology and epidemiology borreliosis in Lithuania and Norway.