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Predicting habitat suitability for Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes persulcatus ticks in Finland

Julkaisuvuosi

2022

Tekijät

Uusitalo, Ruut; Siljander, Mika; Linden, Andreas; Sormunen, Jani J.; Aalto, Juha; Hendrickx, Guy; Kallio, Eva; Vajda, Andrea; Gregow, Hilppa; Henttonen, Heikki; Marsboom, Cedric; Korhonen, Essi M.; Sironen, Tarja; Pellikka, Petri; Vapalahti, Olli

Tiivistelmä

Background Ticks are responsible for transmitting several notable pathogens worldwide. Finland lies in a zone where two human-biting tick species co-occur: Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes persulcatus. Tick densities have increased in boreal regions worldwide during past decades, and tick-borne pathogens have been identified as one of the major threats to public health in the face of climate change. Methods We used species distribution modelling techniques to predict the distributions of I. ricinus and I. persulcatus, using aggregated historical data from 2014 to 2020 and new tick occurrence data from 2021. By aiming to fill the gaps in tick occurrence data, we created a new sampling strategy across Finland. We also screened for tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and Borrelia from the newly collected ticks. Climate, land use and vegetation data, and population densities of the tick hosts were used in various combinations on four data sets to estimate tick species’ distributions across mainland Finland with a 1-km resolution. Results In the 2021 survey, 89 new locations were sampled of which 25 new presences and 63 absences were found for I. ricinus and one new presence and 88 absences for I. persulcatus. A total of 502 ticks were collected and analysed; no ticks were positive for TBEV, while 56 (47%) of the 120 pools, including adult, nymph, and larva pools, were positive for Borrelia (minimum infection rate 11.2%, respectively). Our prediction results demonstrate that two combined predictor data sets based on ensemble mean models yielded the highest predictive accuracy for both I. ricinus (AUC = 0.91, 0.94) and I. persulcatus (AUC = 0.93, 0.96). The suitable habitats for I. ricinus were determined by higher relative humidity, air temperature, precipitation sum, and middle-infrared reflectance levels and higher densities of white-tailed deer, European hare, and red fox. For I. persulcatus, locations with greater precipitation and air temperature and higher white-tailed deer, roe deer, and mountain hare densities were associated with higher occurrence probabilities. Suitable habitats for I. ricinus ranged from southern Finland up to Central Ostrobothnia and North Karelia, excluding areas in Ostrobothnia and Pirkanmaa. For I. persulcatus, suitable areas were located along the western coast from Ostrobothnia to southern Lapland, in North Karelia, North Savo, Kainuu, and areas in Pirkanmaa and Päijät-Häme. Conclusions This is the first study conducted in Finland that estimates potential tick species distributions using environmental and host data. Our results can be utilized in vector control strategies, as supporting material in recommendations issued by public health authorities, and as predictor data for modelling the risk for tick-borne diseases.
Näytä enemmän

Organisaatiot ja tekijät

Turun yliopisto

Sormunen Jani

Helsingin yliopisto

Korhonen Essi M.

Kallio Eva

Siljander Mika

Vapalahti Olli

Pellikka Petri

Uusitalo Ruut

Sironen Tarja

Luonnonvarakeskus

Lindén Andreas

Henttonen Heikki Orcid -palvelun logo

Ilmatieteen laitos

Aalto Juha Antero Orcid -palvelun logo

Gregow Hilppa Orcid -palvelun logo

Vajda Andrea Orcid -palvelun logo

Helsingin seudun yliopistollisen keskussairaalan erityisvastuualue

Korhonen Essi M.

Kallio Eva

Siljander Mika

Vapalahti Olli

Pellikka Petri

Uusitalo Ruut

Sironen Tarja

Julkaisutyyppi

Julkaisumuoto

Artikkeli

Emojulkaisun tyyppi

Lehti

Artikkelin tyyppi

Alkuperäisartikkeli

Yleisö

Tieteellinen

Vertaisarvioitu

Vertaisarvioitu

OKM:n julkaisutyyppiluokitus

A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä

Julkaisukanavan tiedot

Emojulkaisun nimi

Parasites & vectors

Volyymi

15

Numero

1

Artikkelinumero

310

Julkaisu­foorumi

64723

Julkaisufoorumitaso

1

Avoin saatavuus

Avoin saatavuus kustantajan palvelussa

Kyllä

Julkaisukanavan avoin saatavuus

Kokonaan avoin julkaisukanava

Rinnakkaistallennettu

Kyllä

Avoimen saatavuuden kirjoittajamaksu €

2345

Muut tiedot

Tieteenalat

Geotieteet; Ympäristötiede; Ekologia, evoluutiobiologia; Kasvibiologia, mikrobiologia, virologia; Biolääketieteet; Terveystiede

Avainsanat

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Julkaisumaa

Yhdistynyt kuningaskunta

Kustantajan kansainvälisyys

Kansainvälinen

Kieli

englanti

Kansainvälinen yhteisjulkaisu

Kyllä

Yhteisjulkaisu yrityksen kanssa

Kyllä

DOI

10.1186/s13071-022-05410-8

Julkaisu kuuluu opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriön tiedonkeruuseen

Kyllä