During spring and autumn 2001, we screened 13,260 migrating birds at Ottenby Bird Observatory, Sweden, and found 3.4% were infested with ticks. Four birds, each a different passerine species, carried tickborne encephalitis virus (TBEV)-infected ticks (Ixodes ricinus). Migrating birds may play a role in the geographic dispersal of TBEV-infected ticks.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2828075PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1308.061416DOI Listing

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