First record of Ixodes simplex found on a human host, with a review of cases of human infestation by bat tick species occurring in Europe.

Ixodes simplex is a bat tick species, a common parasite of the Schreibers' bent-winged bat, Miniopterus schreibersii. Its distribution is linked to the range of its host, free stages occurring exclusively inside the underground bat shelters. Here we present the first case of human infestation with I.

Wide Distribution and Diversity of Malaria-Related Haemosporidian Parasites ( spp.) in Bats and Their Ectoparasites in Eastern Europe.

Malaria is responsible for major diseases of humans, while associated haemosporidians are important factors in regulating wildlife populations. , a haemosporidian parasite of bats, is phylogenetically close to human-pathogenic species, and their study may provide further clues for understanding the evolutionary relationships between vertebrates and malarial parasites. Our aim was to investigate the distribution of spp.

Bats and ticks: host selection and seasonality of bat-specialist ticks in eastern Europe.

Background: Parasites may actively seek for hosts and may use a number of adaptive strategies to promote their reproductive success and host colonization. These strategies will necessarily influence their host specificity and seasonality. Ticks are important ectoparasites of vertebrates, which (in addition to directly affecting their hosts) may transmit a number of pathogens.

Eco-epidemiology of Novel Bartonella Genotypes from Parasitic Flies of Insectivorous Bats.

Bats are important zoonotic reservoirs for many pathogens worldwide. Although their highly specialized ectoparasites, bat flies (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea), can transmit Bartonella bacteria including human pathogens, their eco-epidemiology is unexplored. Here, we analyzed the prevalence and diversity of Bartonella strains sampled from 10 bat fly species from 14 European bat species.

Babesia vesperuginis, a neglected piroplasmid: new host and geographical records, and phylogenetic relations.

Background: Babesia spp. are hemoparasites which infect the red blood cells of a large variety of mammals. In bats, the only known species of the genus is Babesia vesperuginis.

Parasites of parasites of bats: Laboulbeniales (Fungi: Ascomycota) on bat flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae) in central Europe.

Background: Bat flies (Streblidae and Nycteribiidae) are among the most specialized families of the order Diptera. Members of these two related families have an obligate ectoparasitic lifestyle on bats, and they are known disease vectors for their hosts. However, bat flies have their own ectoparasites: fungi of the order Laboulbeniales.

DNA of Piroplasms of Ruminants and Dogs in Ixodid Bat Ticks.

In this study 308 ticks (Ixodes ariadnae: 26 larvae, 14 nymphs, five females; I. vespertilionis: 89 larvae, 27 nymphs, eight females; I. simplex: 80 larvae, 50 nymphs, nine females) have been collected from 200 individuals of 17 bat species in two countries, Hungary and Romania.