Genetic diversity of Ixodes ricinus ticks in Baltic countries and Norway based on mitochondrial DNA sequences

Abstract

Ixodes ricinus is the most widely spread tick species in Europe and is involved in the transmission of a number of diseases to animals and humans, in particular Lyme borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis, anaplasmosis and babesiosis, in Eurasia. The application of molecular markers to the study of ticks has recently yielded new insights into their population structures and taxonomic relationships. The aim of this study was to evaluate genetic diversity of I. ricinus ticks in Baltic countries and Norway using mitochondrial gene sequence analysis. Ticks were collected from costal area of Southern Norway and from different locations in three Baltic countries: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. We have investigated genetic diversity among 140 collected ticks by using DNA sequencing of the mitochondrial control region, 16S rRNA gene and cytb gene fragments. The most variable gene was 16S rRNR, cytb gene had lowest variability. I. ricinus ticks in Lithunia were less variable then in other countries, while the Norvegian tick population had most haplotypes present.