ArticleParasites & vectors2017
Deer presence rather than abundance determines the population density of the sheep tick, Ixodes ricinus, in Dutch forests.
Article in Parasites & vectors, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 55 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
55 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 138 citations in OpenAlex.
- Distribution of ticks in the Western Palearctic: an updated systematic review (2015-2021).Parasites & vectors · 2023Pooled it
- The importance of wildlife in the ecology and epidemiology of the TBE virus in Sweden: incidence of human TBE correlates with abundance of deer and hares.Parasites & vectors · 2018Pooled it
- Assessment of human health risks to tick-borne infections in urban green spaces (UGS) - a study protocol.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Article
- Influence of tick age and land-use on Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in Ixodes ricinus ticks from the Swabian Alb, Germany.Parasites & vectors · 2025Article
- Are you ready for the tick season? Spring dynamic of tick diversity and density in urban and suburban areas.Parasites & vectors · 2025Article
- Identification of PotentialVaccines · 2025Article
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- Non-zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in Western Balkan.Parasites & vectors · 2025Review
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- Ticks and tick-borne diseases in the northern hemisphere affecting humans.Frontiers in microbiology · 2025Review
- Assessing zoonotic risk in a fenced natural park in northwestern Italy: integrating camera traps for a vector-host approach to investigate tick-borne pathogens.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2025Article
- A seasonal matrix population model for ixodid ticks with complex life histories and limited host availability.Ecology · 2025Article
- Understanding Ixodes ricinus occurrence in private yards: influence of yard and landscape features.International journal of health geographics · 2024Article
- Relating Wildlife Camera Trap Data to Tick Abundance: Testing the Relationship in Different Habitats.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2024Article
- Modeling platform to assess the effectiveness of single and integrated Ixodes scapularis tick control methods.Parasites & vectors · 2024Article
- Spatial and temporal variation of five different pathogens and symbionts inCurrent research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases · 2024Article
- Article
- The influence of forest habitat type onCurrent research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases · 2024Article
- An Integrated Approach to an Emerging Problem: Implementing a Whole Year of Camera Trap Survey in Evaluating the Impact of Wildlife on Tick Abundance.Transboundary and emerging diseases · 2024Article
- Tick-Borne Encephalitis-Review of the Current Status.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundUnderstanding which factors drive population densities of disease vectors is an important step in assessing disease risk. We tested the hypothesis that the density of ticks from the Ixodes ricinus complex, which are important vectors for tick-borne diseases, is determined by the density of deer, as adults of these ticks mainly feed on deer.
methodsWe performed a cross-sectional study to investigate I. ricinus density across 20 forest plots in the Netherlands that ranged widely in deer availability to ticks, and performed a deer-exclosure experiment in four pairs of 1 ha forest plots in a separate site.
resultsIxodes ricinus from all stages were more abundant in plots with deer (n = 17) than in plots without deer (n = 3). Where deer were present, the density of ticks did not increase with the abundance of deer. Experimental exclosure of deer reduced nymph density by 66% and adult density by 32% within a timeframe of two years.
conclusionsIn this study, deer presence rather than abundance explained the density of I. ricinus. This is in contrast to previous studies and might be related to the relatively high host-species richness in Dutch forests. This means that reduction of the risk of acquiring a tick bite would require the complete elimination of deer in species rich forests. The fact that small exclosures (< 1 ha) substantially reduced I. ricinus densities suggests that fencing can be used to reduce tick-borne disease risk in areas with high recreational pressure.
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