Observational studyParasites & vectors2024
Effects of rodent abundance on ticks and Borrelia: results from an experimental and observational study in an island system.
Observational study in Parasites & vectors, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review of the effectiveness and utility of Lyme disease prevention measures in Canada, the United States, and Europe.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Pooled it
- Rodent-borne pathogens as economic and zoonotic health threat to livestock farming: a review.One health (Amsterdam, Netherlands) · 2026Review
- 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
- Review
- From reservoirs to ecological integrators: the role of EuropeanFrontiers in veterinary science · 2026Review
- Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens Encountered by Dogs and Cats: A North European Perspective.Transboundary and emerging diseases · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundLyme borreliosis is the most common tick-borne disease in Europe and is often caused by Borrelia afzelii, which is transmitted by Ixodes ricinus ticks. The prevalence and abundance of infected ticks fluctuate in time and space, influencing human infection risk. Rodents are reservoir hosts for B. afzelii and important feeding hosts for larval ticks. In the study reported here, we examined how variation in rodent abundance is associated with B. afzelii infection prevalence in ticks, the density of nymphs (DON) and the density of infected nymphs (DIN) in the following year. We further analysed the relationships between the abundance of infected rodents and nymphal infection prevalence (NIP) and DIN.
methodsWe conducted a study that combined experimental and observational approaches on 15 islands (10 small islands and 5 large islands) in Finland. On all of the islands, ticks and rodents were monitored and sampled during the summer of 2019, with the monitoring of tick abundance and sampling continuing into the spring of 2020. On five of the 10 small islands, captured rodents were removed from the island ("removal" islands), and on the other five small islands, captured rodents were released back to the trapping site after marking and sampling ("control" islands). On the five large islands, captured rodents were released back to the trapping site after marking and sampling. The presence of B. afzelii from nymph and rodent samples was examined.
resultsThe results of the experimental study showed that neither treatment (removal), rodent abundance index nor abundance index of infected rodents in 2019 was associated with DON, NIP or DIN in 2020. Based on data from the observational study, the NIP in 2020 decreased with increasing rodent abundance index and abundance index of infected rodents in 2019. However, the DIN in 2020 was not associated with the rodent abundance index or the abundance index of infected rodents in 2019. In addition, in the observational study, DON in 2020 increased with increasing rodent abundance index.
conclusionsOur results suggest that low rodent abundance during the tick activity period is not sufficient for reducing the disease hazard and, hence, rodent removal may not be a feasible control measure in natural ecosystems.
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