ArticleParasites & vectors2019
Prevalence of pathogens in ticks collected from humans through citizen science in Belgium.
Article in Parasites & vectors, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
40 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 89 citations in OpenAlex.
- Infection rates, species diversity, and distribution of zoonotic Babesia parasites in ticks: a global systematic review and meta-analysis.Parasitology research · 2022Pooled it
- Citizen Science Tick Observations Serve as an Early Warning System for Tick-Borne Diseases.Zoonoses and public health · 2026Article
- Identification and mapping of potential and highly likely vectors for selected vector-borne diseases in the EU and neighbouring countries.EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority · 2026Article
- A Household Cluster of Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Belgium in 2025: Is the Epidemiology Evolving?Viruses · 2026Article
- Spatial modeling of Borrelia genospecies in human-biting ticks from the French citizen science programme CiTIQUE.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Prevalence ofPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Incidence of Lyme borreliosis following Ixodes ricinus tick bites in Poland: a citizen science approach.Parasites & vectors · 2025Article
- Spiroplasma ixodetis in Ticks Removed from Humans, Sweden and Åland Islands, Finland.Emerging infectious diseases · 2025Article
- Article
- Abundance of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in domestic gardens in Belgium, 2020-2022: a citizen science approach.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Multicenter Retrospective Study of Spiroplasma ixodetis Infantile Cataract in 8 Countries in Europe.Emerging infectious diseases · 2025Article
- First detection of tick-borne encephalitis virus in Ixodes ricinus ticks in Belgium, May 2024.Parasites & vectors · 2025Article
- Occurrence of Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens During Warm Winter-A Snapshot from Central Europe.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Assessing tick attachments to humans with citizen science data: spatio-temporal mapping in Switzerland from 2015 to 2021 using spatialMaxent.Parasites & vectors · 2025Article
- The prevalence of pathogens in ticks collected from humans in Belgium, 2021, versus 2017.Parasites & vectors · 2024Article
- Potential drivers of vector-borne pathogens in urban environments: European hedgehogs (One health (Amsterdam, Netherlands) · 2024Article
- Molecular Survey ofVeterinary sciences · 2023Article
- Rickettsia species in Dermacentor reticulatus ticks feeding on human skin and clinical manifestations of tick-borne infections after tick bite.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Article
- Distant genetic variants of Anaplasma phagocytophilum from Ixodes ricinus attached to people.Parasites & vectors · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn order to evaluate the risk of human exposure to tick-borne pathogens in Belgium, a study on the prevalence of several pathogens was conducted on feeding ticks removed from humans in 2017.
methodsUsing a citizen science approach based on an existing notification tool for tick bites, a sample of ticks was collected across the country. Collected ticks were screened by PCR for the presence of the following pathogens: Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia spp., Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato), Borrelia miyamotoi, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Rickettsia helvetica and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV).
resultsIn total, 1599 ticks were included in the sample. The great majority of ticks belonged to Ixodes ricinus (99%); other tick species were identified as Ixodes hexagonus (0.7%) and Dermacentor reticulatus (0.3%). Borrelia burgdorferi (s.l.) was detected in 14% of nymphs and adult ticks. Adult ticks (20%) were more likely to be infected than nymphs (12%). The most common genospecies were B. afzelii (52%) and B. garinii (21%). Except for TBEV, the other tick-borne pathogens studied were all detected in the tick sample, although at a lower prevalence: 1.5% for Babesia spp.; 1.8% for A. phagocytophilum; 2.4% for B. miyamotoi; 2.8% for N. mikurensis; and 6.8% for R. helvetica. Rickettsia raoultii, the causative agent of tick-borne lymphadenopathy, was identified for the first time in Belgium, in two out of five D. reticulatus ticks. Co-infections were found in 3.9% of the examined ticks. The most common co-infection was B. burgdorferi (s.l.) + N. mikurensis.
conclusionsAlthough for most of the tick-borne diseases in Belgium, other than Lyme borreliosis, no or few cases of human infection are reported, the pathogens causing these diseases were all (except for TBEV) detected in the tick study sample. Their confirmed presence can help raise awareness among citizens and health professionals in Belgium on possible diseases other than Lyme borreliosis in patients presenting fever or other non-characteristic symptoms after a tick bite.
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