Arthropods as Vectors of Emerging Diseases
Without a doubt the recently accelerating globalization supports the import of agents of disease into countries where they never had been or where they had long since been eradicated, leading to a false sense of living on a “safe island.” These newly impo
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The Changing Distribution Patterns of Ticks (Ixodida) in Europe in Relation to Emerging Tick-Borne Diseases T. N. Petney, J. Skuballa, S. Muders, M. Pf€ affle, C. Zetlmeisl, and R. Oehme
Abstract Ixodid ticks are the most important vectors of human pathogens and are significant vectors of animal pathogens in Europe. Evidence is accumulating that several tick species have extended their distributions, related at least in part to climate and habitat changes. With increasing anthropogenic modification of the environment, these distributional modifications are likely to continue, with the likelihood that tick-borne diseases will spread to new areas. We discuss those factors which are involved in the changing distributions of ixodid ticks and provide a list of possible invading species given potential changes in tick habitat. Keywords Climate change • Distribution • Invading species • Ixodidae • Vectorborne disease
7.1
Introduction
The ecological cycles of vector-borne zoonotic pathogens differ depending on the species and the hosts and host density, the species and density of arthropods which can act as vectors, and the transmission dynamics between the two. These parameters all influence the likelihood of transmission to humans. This ecology is naturally dynamic, not only between seasons, but also between years depending on changes in host and vector populations and environmental and climatic conditions (Randolph et al. 2002). Superimposed on these natural changes are major anthropogenic
T.N. Petney (*) • J. Skuballa • S. Muders • M. Pf€affle • C. Zetlmeisl Department of Ecology and Parasitology, Zoology Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Kornblumenstrasse 13, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany e-mail: [email protected] R. Oehme Landesgesundheitsamt Baden-W€ urttemberg, Ref. 93, Allgemeine Hygiene und Infektionsschutz, Nordbahnhofsstr. 135, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany H. Mehlhorn (ed.), Arthropods as Vectors of Emerging Diseases, Parasitology Research Monographs 3, DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-28842-5_7, # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012
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influences, such as land-use change, urbanization, human mobility, the introduction of invasive species, and global warming (Gilbert 2010; Reisen 2010). Unlike shortterm natural variation, these changes are often long term and directional, such as the continuing trend to a warmer climate, or long-term and more or less abrupt, such as deforestation or reforestation (Foley et al. 2005; Rounsevell et al. 2006). Studies on a wide variety of vector-borne disease systems have already established the likelihood that such dynamic environmental changes can have a strong influence on local and regional disease ecology (Patz et al. 2008). For example, malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum is sensitive to rainfall and temperature changes, which can strongly influence the development and population dynamics of its mosquito vectors (Pascual et al. 2006). In addition, many mosquito species capable of transmitting malaria are highly sensitive to changes in land use (
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