Occurrence of Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato in Ixodes Ricinus and Dermacentor Reticulatus Ticks Collected from Roe Deer and Deer Shot in the South-east of Poland

The investigations concerning the spirochaetes Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato were conducted in 169 Ixodes ricinus female ticks (141 collected from roe deer and 28 from red deer) as well as in 11 Dermacentor reticulatus female ticks from deer shot in the South-East of Poland. Moreover, a single female Dermacentor reticulatus from a dog and 9 collected from plants were examined. DNA was isolated using the Genomic DNA Prep Plus kit. Its amplification was conducted by means of the diagnostic PCR-Borrelia kit. The presence of spirochaetes was observed in 31.3% of ticks collected from male roe deer, 21.4% from female roe deer, and 32.1% from red deer. The highest numbers of infected ticks were detected to date in the Lublin region. Borrelia burgdorferi was found in 5 (45.4%) Dermacentor reticulatus from deer and in single ticks from a dog and plants. These are the first cases in Poland, which indicate that Dermacentor reticulatus is involved in the transmission of borreliosis.