VetSRev
Database of veterinary systematic reviews
Database of veterinary systematic reviews
Frontiers in Veterinary Science (2020) 6:
DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.604910
Ticks transmit a variety of pathogens affecting both human and animal health. In temperate and cold regions of Europe (Western, Central, Eastern, and Northern Europe), the most relevant zoonotic tick-borne pathogens are tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Borrelia spp. and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. More rarely, Rickettsia spp., Neoehrlichia mikurensis, and zoonotic Babesia spp. are identified as a cause of human disease. Domestic animals may also be clinically affected by these pathogens, and, furthermore, can be regarded as sentinel hosts for their occurrence in a certain area, or even play a role as reservoirs or amplifying hosts. For example, viraemic ruminants may transmit TBEV to humans via raw milk products. This review summarizes the role of domestic animals, including ruminants, horses, dogs, and cats, in the ecology of TBEV, Borrelia spp., A. phagocytophilum, Rickettsia spp., N. mikurensis, and zoonotic Babesia species. It gives an overview on the (sero-)prevalence of these infectious agents in domestic animals in temperate/cold regions of Europe, based on 148 individual prevalence studies. Meta-analyses of seroprevalence in asymptomatic animals estimated an overall seroprevalence of 2.7% for TBEV, 12.9% for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), 16.2% for A. phagocytophilum and 7.4% for Babesia divergens, with a high level of heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses with regard to animal species, diagnostic test, geographical region and decade of sampling were mostly non-significant, with the exception of significantly lower B. burgdorferi s.l. seroprevalences in dogs than in horses and cattle. More surveillance studies employing highly sensitive and specific test methods and including hitherto non-investigated regions are needed to determine if and how global changes in terms of climate, land use, agricultural practices and human behavior impact the frequency of zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in domestic animals.
Springer, A., Glass, A., Topp, A. K., & Strube, C. (2020). Zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in temperate and cold regions of Europe- a review on the prevalence in domestic animals. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 6(December). https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.604910 dogs, behavior, reviews, cattle, Diagnosis of Animal Diseases [LL886], meta-analysis, ruminants, techniques, Equus, horses, man, Europe, cats, data analysis, health, Pets and Companion Animals [LL070], research, studies, disease prevalence, epidemiology, bacterium, human diseases, zoonoses, zoonotic infections, animal health, disease transmission, domestic animals, infections, land use, parasites, parasitoses, protozoal infections, viral diseases, diagnosis, diagnostic techniques, disease distribution, animal diseases, tick-borne diseases, bacterial diseases, pathogens, milk products, viruses, heterogeneity, Sport Animals [LL075], communicable diseases, infectious diseases, surveillance, incidence, bacterial infections, bacterioses, Babesia, babesiosis, protozoal diseases, red water, tick fever, tickborne diseases, dairy products, parasitic diseases, parasitic infestations, parasitosis, Protozoan, Helminth and Arthropod Parasites of Humans [VV220], Protozoan, Helminth, Mollusc and Arthropod Parasites of Animals [LL822], Prion, Viral, Bacterial and Fungal Pathogens of Animals [LL821], Prion, Viral, Bacterial and Fungal Pathogens of Humans [VV210], Public Health Pests, Vectors and Intermediate Hosts [VV230], viral infections, Anaplasma, Anaplasma infections, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, anaplasmoses, Babesia divergens, Borrelia, Borrelia burgdorferi, climate, cold regions, cold zones, ecology, Ehrlichia infections, ehrlichioses, encephalitis, encephalomyelitis, human behavior, human behaviour, Metastigmata, milks, Neoehrlichia, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, northern Europe, raw milk, Rickettsia, rickettsial diseases, seroprevalence, tests, tick-borne encephalitis, Tick-borne encephalitis virus, ticks, Toxicology and Poisoning of Animals [LL950], vector-borne diseases, Veterinary Pests, Vectors and Intermediate Hosts [LL823]