An Eco-Tourism Farm as a Monitoring Area for the Occurrence of Tick-Borne Pathogens

Free-ranging animals may serve as sentinels for the occurrence of ticks and tick-borne pathogens within a given habitat. Between 2020 and 2022, ticks were collected from domestic animals and vegetation on a family-operated agrotouristic farm in Western Slovakia. A total of 391 ticks were obtained (163 host-feeding and 228 questing). Ixodes ricinus predominated (94.9%), followed by Dermacentor reticulatus (4.9%) and Haemaphysalis concinna (one specimen). All ticks were screened for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), Borrelia miyamotoi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia spp., and Rickettsia spp. by using PCR-based methods and subsequent sequencing. Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. was detected in 15.9% of I. ricinus. Six species were identified, with Borrelia afzelii dominating. Borrelia miyamotoi was detected in 1.62% of questing I. ricinus. Anaplasma phagocytophilum was identified in 20.49% of I. ricinus, mainly in host-feeding specimens. Babesia spp. were detected in I. ricinus (2.7%), represented by Babesia microti, Babesia venatorum, and Babesia capreoli. Rickettsia spp. were detected in 5.39% of I. ricinus and 31.58% of D. reticulatus. They comprised Rickettsia helvetica, Rickettsia monacensis, and Rickettsia raoultii. Co-infections involving two or three pathogens were observed in several ticks. Our results underscore the considerable diversity of tick-borne pathogens in a rural area where humans and domestic animals are in close contact to wildlife.