Imported Hyalomma Ticks in Germany in 2018

Overview

Journal Parasit Vectors

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Parasitology
Tropical Medicine

Date 2019 Mar 27

PMID 30909964

Citations 38

Authors

Lidia Chitimia-Dobler

Sabine Schaper

Ramona Riess

Karin Bitterwolf

Dimitrios Frangoulidis

Malena Bestehorn

Andrea Springer

Rainer Oehme

Marco Drehmann

Alexander Lindau

Ute Mackenstedt

Christina Strube

Gerhard Dobler

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Hyalomma marginatum and Hyalomma rufipes are two-host tick species, which are mainly distributed in southern Europe, Africa and middle-eastern Asia. They are well-known vectors of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus and other viruses as well as Rickettsia aeschlimannii. In recent years, these tick species have been found sporadically in Germany, but they do not belong to the autochthonous tick fauna in Germany.

Methods: Ticks with unusual morphology were collected and sent from private persons or public health offices to involve institutions for morphological identification and further testing. All ticks identified as Hyalomma spp. were tested using molecular detection methods for CCHF virus, Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii and Coxiella-like organisms, Babesia spp. and Theileria spp.

Results: Thirty-five ticks with an unusual appearance or behaviour were reported to us during summer-autumn 2018. For 17 of them, the description or photos implied that they belong to the hard tick genus Hyalomma. The remaining 18 ticks were sent to us and were identified as adult Hyalomma marginatum (10 specimens) or adult Hyalomma rufipes (8 specimens). All ticks tested negative for CCHF virus, Coxiella burnetii, Coxiella-like organisms, Babesia spp. and Theileria spp. The screening for rickettsiae gave positive results in 9 specimens . The Rickettsia species in all cases was identified as R. aeschlimannii.

Conclusions: These results show that exotic tick species imported into Germany were able to develop from the nymphal to the adult stage under appropriate weather conditions. Fifty percent of the ticks carried R. aeschlimannii, a human pathogen, while CCHF virus or other pathogens were not detected. Imported Hyalomma ticks may be the source of exotic diseases acquired in Germany.

Citing Articles

Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in Wild Animals and Birds from Two Rehabilitation Facilities in Greece.

Vourvidis D, Tzouganatou G, Perdikaris S, Kofidou E, Martinez-Gonzalez B, Emmanouil M Pathogens. 2025; 14(1).

PMID: 39860970 PMC: 11768179. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens14010009.

Wide spectrum of tick-borne pathogens in juvenile Ixodes ricinus collected from autumn-migrating birds in the Vistula River Valley, Poland.

Kulisz J, Zajac Z, Foucault-Simonin A, Wozniak A, Filipiuk M, Kloskowski J BMC Vet Res. 2024; 20(1):556.

PMID: 39643916 PMC: 11622654. DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-04415-y.

Prevalence of tick-borne bacterial pathogens in Germany-has the situation changed after a decade?.

Mertens-Scholz K, Hoffmann B, Gethmann J, Brangsch H, Pletz M, Klaus C Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2024; 14:1429667.

PMID: 39091677 PMC: 11291221. DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1429667.

Viral pathogen detection in U.S. game-farm mallard () flags spillover risk to wild birds.

Bourke B, Dusek R, Ergunay K, Linton Y, Drovetski S Front Vet Sci. 2024; 11:1396552.

PMID: 38860005 PMC: 11163284. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1396552.

Ticks and tick-borne diseases from Mallorca Island, Spain.

Chitimia-Dobler L, Broker M, Wolfel S, Dobler G, Schaper S, Muller K Parasitology. 2024; 151(6):606-614.

PMID: 38767137 PMC: 11428005. DOI: 10.1017/S0031182024000544.

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