Akyildiz G., Bacak E., Zarrabı Ahrabı S., Bilgin S., Arslan E. N., Yalcin S., ...Daha Fazla
PARASITES AND VECTORS, cilt.0, sa.0, ss.1-17, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
-
Yayın Türü:
Makale / Tam Makale
-
Cilt numarası:
0
Sayı:
0
-
Basım Tarihi:
2026
-
Doi Numarası:
10.1186/s13071-026-07680-y
-
Dergi Adı:
PARASITES AND VECTORS
-
Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler:
Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest), Scopus, Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), BIOSIS, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Directory of Open Access Journals, Zoological Record
-
Sayfa Sayıları:
ss.1-17
-
Marmara Üniversitesi Adresli:
Evet
Özet
Abstract
Background
Haemaphysalis longicornis
Neumann, the Asian longhorned tick, is a highly invasive species of veterinary and public health importance. Although it has recently been reported from the European part of Türkiye, geographically explicit evidence from the European continent remains limited. We investigated the occurrence of
Ha. longicornis
on birds and in questing ticks from georeferenced localities on the European side of Istanbul, a major migratory bottleneck linking Türkiye with northeastern and central Europe.
Methods
Birds were examined for ticks during the 2025 spring and autumn migration seasons at a ringing station on the European side of Istanbul, and additional
Haemaphysalis
specimens were collected from nearby vegetation. Ticks were identified morphologically and confirmed by COI-based molecular analysis. Seasonal prevalence was compared using Fisher’s exact test, a two-sample test for equality of proportions, and binomial generalized linear models accounting for host species.
Results
Haemaphysalis
ticks were recorded from 46 birds representing 17 host species. Across these host species, 4816 birds were examined, and 108
Haemaphysalis
specimens were recovered, comprising 95
Ha. longicornis
larvae, 6
Ha. longicornis
nymphs, and 7
Ha. punctata
nymphs. No adult
Haemaphysalis
were found on birds. All avian host species from which
Ha. longicornis
was detected represented novel host associations. Four of six engorged larvae moulted successfully to the nymphal stage. COI sequence data from pooled
Haemaphysalis
samples were consistent with identification as
Ha.
longicornis, and representative sequences clustered within the
Ha.
longicornis clade. Three questing nymphs collected by trial flagging were morphologically indistinguishable from COI-confirmed
Ha. longicornis
nymphs. Pooled seasonal prevalence was higher in autumn than in spring, although unadjusted comparisons were not significant; after accounting for host species, autumn showed higher estimated odds of infestation.
Conclusions
These findings provide geographically explicit evidence of
Ha. longicornis
on the European continent. Detection on multiple bird hosts, together with recovery of questing specimens from the local environment, suggests that
Ha. longicornis
is not only transported by birds but may also be locally established on the European side of Istanbul. Our findings highlight the ecological and epidemiological relevance of wild birds and migratory corridors in the transport and potential establishment of invasive ticks in Europe.