An update on Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. prevalence and hazard in ticks at recreational areas in England and Wales between 2021 and 2023

作者：Sara Gandy, Faye Brown, Jonathan Yardley, Nicola Jones, Anthony J. Abbott, Sarah M Biddlecombe, Colin Johnston, Kayleigh M. Hansford, Andrew Nelson, Christopher J. Williams, Jolyon M. Medlock · 发表于：Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102523 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Vector-borne infectious diseases、Viral Infections and Vectors、Vector-Borne Animal Diseases

Estimating tick-borne disease hazard in highly visited natural landscapes is essential for assessing public health risks. Lyme disease, caused by bacteria of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) complex and transmitted by the tick Ixodes ricinus in Europe, is the most prevalent vector-borne disease. This study aimed to measure Lyme disease hazard across a range of recreational areas, building on previous research. From 2021 to 2023, 84 sites within 36 recreational areas across England and Wales were sampled. The density of questing I. ricinus nymphs was significantly higher in woodlands than in grasslands and significantly increased in the presence of deer. Tick density was significantly higher in the north and south of England compared to central England. The overall prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l. in I. ricinus nymphs was 5.8 % [95 % CI: 5.1-6.6 %] (228/3914), with site-level prevalences ranging from 0 % to 30.4 %. The dominant genospecies was B. garinii (39 % of positive samples), followed by B. valaisiana (21.9 %), B. afzelii (15.4 %) and B. burgdorferi s.s. (3.1 %), which sets England and Wales apart from other European countries where B. afzelii typically dominates. The density of nymphs infected with B. burgdorferi s.l., which represents Lyme disease hazard, was significantly higher in the north and south of England compared to central England and Wales. Notably, the highest densities of infected nymphs were identified in Kielder Forest, Yorkshire Dales, Exmoor...