Winter activity of Ixodes ricinus in Sweden.

Background: In Europe, Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) is the most widespread and abundant tick species, acting as a vector for several microorganisms of medical and veterinary importance. In Northern and Central Europe, the tick has a bimodal activity pattern consisting of a peak in spring to the beginning of summer and a second peak at the end of summer. However, several findings of ticks on animals during winter have been reported, which raises the question of whether this is an overwintering strategy or whether ticks are active during winter in Scandinavia.

Modelling the monthly abundance of Culicoides biting midges in nine European countries using Random Forests machine learning.

Background: Culicoides biting midges transmit viruses resulting in disease in ruminants and equids such as bluetongue, Schmallenberg disease and African horse sickness. In the past decades, these diseases have led to important economic losses for farmers in Europe. Vector abundance is a key factor in determining the risk of vector-borne disease spread and it is, therefore, important to predict the abundance of Culicoides species involved in the transmission of these pathogens.

Monthly variation in the probability of presence of adult Culicoides populations in nine European countries and the implications for targeted surveillance.

Background: Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are small hematophagous insects responsible for the transmission of bluetongue virus, Schmallenberg virus and African horse sickness virus to wild and domestic ruminants and equids. Outbreaks of these viruses have caused economic damage within the European Union. The spatio-temporal distribution of biting midges is a key factor in identifying areas with the potential for disease spread.

Prevalence of tick-borne viruses in Ixodes ricinus assessed by high-throughput real-time PCR.

Ticks are one of the principal arthropod vectors of human and animal infectious diseases. Whereas the prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus in ticks in Europe is well studied, there is less information available on the prevalence of the other tick-borne viruses (TBVs) existing worldwide. The aim of this study was to improve the epidemiological survey tools of TBVs by the development of an efficient high-throughput test to screen a wide range of viruses in ticks.

Detection of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Lambs Undergoing Prophylactic Treatment Against Ticks on Two Swedish Farms.

Tick-borne pathogens (TBPs), especially , cause disease in grazing livestock. Tick prophylaxis is, therefore, a routine practice in sheep flocks in Sweden, especially in central, southern, and coastal areas of the country where ixodid ticks ( and ) are present. In the present study, the status of infection by and other TBPs in lambs treated with tick prophylaxis has been assessed serologically and with polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Spatial and temporal variation in the abundance of Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in nine European countries.

Background: Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of bluetongue virus (BTV), African horse sickness virus and Schmallenberg virus (SBV). Outbreaks of both BTV and SBV have affected large parts of Europe. The spread of these diseases depends largely on vector distribution and abundance.

Molecular detection of Babesia capreoli and Babesia venatorum in wild Swedish roe deer, Capreolus capreolus.

Background: The epidemiology of the zoonotic tick-transmitted parasite Babesia spp. and its occurrence in wild reservoir hosts in Sweden is unclear. In European deer, several parasite species, including Babesia capreoli and the zoonotic B.

Seasonality and Diapause of Musca autumnalis (Diptera: Muscidae) at its Southern Limits in North America, With Observations on Haematobia irritans (Diptera: Muscidae).

The face fly (Musca autumnalis De Geer) and horn fly (Haematobia irritans ([L.])) were studied at the southern edge of the face fly's North American range, examining southern California geographic distribution, seasonal activity on cattle and in dung, and diapause. Face flies were common only at Pomona (34°03'N, 117°48'W).

High-throughput screening of tick-borne pathogens in Europe.

Due to increased travel, climatic, and environmental changes, the incidence of tick-borne disease in both humans and animals is increasing throughout Europe. Therefore, extended surveillance tools are desirable. To accurately screen tick-borne pathogens (TBPs), a large scale epidemiological study was conducted on 7050 Ixodes ricinus nymphs collected from France, Denmark, and the Netherlands using a powerful new high-throughput approach.

Circulation of Japanese encephalitis virus in pigs and mosquito vectors within Can Tho city, Vietnam.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a mosquito-borne, zoonotic flavivirus causing encephalitis in humans and reproductive disorder in pigs. JEV is present in large parts of Asia, where urbanization is high. Households within and outside Can Tho city, South Vietnam, were selected to monitor circulation of JEV.

Occurrence of Japanese encephalitis virus mosquito vectors in relation to urban pig holdings.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is transmitted to humans from pigs or birds by mosquitoes. In this study, the association between urban pig keeping and mosquito vectors was analyzed. A total of 7, 419 mosquitoes were collected overnight in urban households with and without pigs in Can Tho City, Vietnam.

Characterization of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae isolates from laying hens and poultry red mites (Dermanyssus gallinae) from an outbreak of erysipelas.

Infection with the zoonotic bacterium Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae causes severe disease outbreaks (erysipelas) in poultry flocks. As this bacterium has been isolated from the poultry red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae), this parasite has been suggested as a possible means of transmission of E. rhusiopathiae on and between poultry farms.

Monitoring of biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae: Culicoides Latreille) on farms in Sweden during the emergence of the 2008 epidemic of bluetongue.

In light of the emergence of bluetongue in northern Europe, populations of Culicoides species were monitored in 2007-2008 by means of Onderstepoort blacklight suction traps operating at livestock farms in Sweden. The location of the 22 sampling sites ranged from about latitude 55 degrees N to about 68 degrees N. A total of 61,669 male and female Culicoides were captured, of which, 52,319 were trapped outside the farms and 9,350 in byres or livestock sheds.

Experimental study on possible transmission of the bacterium Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae to chickens by the poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae.

The vector potential of the poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae De Geer (Acari: Dermanyssidae), in relation to chicken erysipelas was investigated under experimental conditions. Chickens were inoculated intramuscularly with the bacterium Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, and mites were allowed to feed on the inoculated chickens for 5 days. After 20 days of starvation, the mites were allowed to feed on healthy chickens to enable transmission of bacteria.

Characterization of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae isolates from poultry, pigs, emus, the poultry red mite and other animals.

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is the causative agent of erysipelas in mammals and birds, especially pigs and poultry. In order to investigate the suitability of different subtyping methods for genetic and phenotypic similarities among Swedish isolates of the organism, 45 isolates from poultry (n=23), pigs (n=17), emus (n=2) and the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae (n=3) were investigated by serotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene was performed on eleven isolates from nine animal species.

Azadirachtin-impregnated traps for the control of Dermanyssus gallinae.

The effect of neem oil (azadirachtin), originating from the tree Azadirachta indica, was investigated as a potential compound to control the poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae. In vitro tests were performed to determine the most appropriate formulation of neem extracts and concentration of the substance to be used. Cardboard traps containing 20% neem oil were placed at the mites' aggregation sites, out of reach of the hens, in a floor system for layers containing approximately 2400 birds.

Recombinant K39 dipstick immunochromatographic test: a new tool for the serodiagnosis of canine leishmaniasis.

The spread of human leishmaniasis has prompted the scientific community to study dogs as reservoirs for Leishmania infantum. Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) is widespread in the Mediterranean area with a prevalence of up to 50%. The first step toward controlling the disease is to monitor its distribution, mainly in stray dogs.

Dung beetle activity and the development of trichostrongylid eggs into infective larvae in cattle faeces.

In the perspective to reduce the use of antiparasitic drugs, any interaction between the processes that control the development of parasite eggs into infective larval stages (L3) in dung and the activities of different dung-breeding organisms becomes of interest. The objective of the present study was to determine whether dung beetle activity affected the development of parasite larvae in cattle dung. Faeces containing eggs of parasites (predominantly Cooperia spp.

Traps containing acaricides for the control of Dermanyssus gallinae.

In Sweden, the poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae, is the only haematophagous mite of poultry. After obtaining a blood meal the parasite spends most of its life off the host aggregated in cracks and crevices where mating and reproduction occur. Cardboard traps (1000 mm x 40 mm x 3 mm; 160 mm x 140 mm x 3 mm and 100 mm x 70 mm x 3 mm) containing 2% metriphonate were placed where mites gathered, out of reach of the hens, in two different types of multi-tiered floor systems for layers.