Monitoring Rickettsia spp. v podhorskej oblasti Slovenska

Objectives: Ticks, as a vector of various infections occur every year in Liptov, a popular tourist location in Slovakia, and their occurrence generally has an increasing trend. As up to now several rickettsiae from the spotted fever group were confirmed in tick vectors from different areas of Slovakia. Therefore, identification of previously unknown areas with endemic occurrence of Rickettsia spp. is of great importance. Material and methods: Questing ixodid ticks, small mammals, birds and wild boars from recreational areas of Liptov valley in northern Slovakia were tested for the presence of Rickettsia spp. and obtained sequences were further analyzed. Results: Overall, 8 out of 55 ixodid ticks (14.5%) tested positive for Rickettsia helvetica and one male tick (1.8%) was infected with Rickettsia monacensis. The identification of this species was based on the sequencing of 23S-5S internal transcribed spacer (ITS), gltA and ompA genes. Rickettsia spp. was detected in 7 rodents (5.8%) and 5 wild boars (5.9%) originated from Liptov valley, using gltA gene primer set. Conclusion: Our results confirm the presence of spotted fever group rickettsiae in tick vectors and hosts from northern part of Slovakia. Moreover, the evidence of the presence of Rickettsia spp. in vectors and in reservoirs indicate the circulation of the pathogen in nature and the need to monitor the situation in this popular location in Slovakia.