Birds as potential reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens: first evidence of bacteraemia with Rickettsia helvetica

Parasites & Vectors

Table 1 Prevalence and intensity of tick infestation among birds according to their feeding preference and migration habits

Bird species (tick infested/all)	Feeding preference (tick infested/all)	Distance of migration (tick infested/all)	Number of birds infested with … (number of ticks)
			*Ixodes ricinus*		*Haemaphysalis concinna*		*Hyalomma* sp.
			Larva	Nymph	Larva	Nymph	Larva
Luscinia megarhynchos (4/36)		Long (6/44)	2 (5)	4 (5)
Luscinia luscinia (1/7)			1 (5)	1 (2)
Anthus trivialis (1/1)			1 (1)	1 (4)
Erithacus rubecula (13/52)	Ground level (27/115)		7 (9)	8 (14)
Turdus philomelos (2/6)		Short (16/59)	1 (3)	2 (5)
Turdus iliacus (1/1)		Short (16/59)		1 (1)
Turdus merula (5/12)		Local (5/12)	2 (2)	4 (11)
Acrocephalus scirpaceus (15/129)			2 (3)	12 (14)	2 (2)	3 (4)
Acrocephalus schoenobaenus (4/90)			2 (2)	2 (2)
Locustella luscinioides (1/26)		Long (23/283)			1 (5)
Sylvia communis (2/19)			1 (1)	2 (2)
Phylloscopus sibilatrix (1/19)	Above ground level (41/771)						1 (1)
Sylvia atricapilla (12/372)		Middle (13/464)	6 (10)	8 (8)	1 (1)	1 (1)
Phylloscopus collybita (1/92)		Middle (13/464)		1 (1)
Coccothraustes coccothraustes (2/18)		Short (5/24)		2 (2)
Prunella modularis (3/6)		Short (5/24)	1 (1)	3 (7)	1 (5)

ISSN: 1756-3305