Fine-scale tuning exophilic tick (Acari: Ixodidae) population dynamics in northern Spain Francisco Ruiz-Fons1, Alberto Espí2, Jesús F. Barandika3, Ana del Cerro2, Ana Hurtado3, José Miguel Prieto2, Ana L. García-Pérez3 1Health & Biotechnology (SaBio) Group, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM); Ciudad Real, Spain 2Animal Biotechnology Centre SERIDA, Gijón, Spain 3Department of Animal Health, NEIKER, Bizkaia, Spain
Background Ixodes ricinus distribution and abundance, peninsular Spain Absent Abundant Ixodes ricinus distribution and abundance, peninsular Spain Source: A. Estrada-Peña
Background Ixodes ricinus distribution and abundance, peninsular Spain Absent Abundant Ixodes ricinus distribution and abundance, peninsular Spain Source: A. Estrada-Peña
Background
DESCRIPTIVE STUDY!! Aims Determine fortnight activity patterns of exophilic tick species in diverse Iberian Atlantic environments to predict temporal variations in questing tick densities (QTD) and potentiality for pathogen transmission Identify main environmental (climate, habitat, orography, soil, …) and host (population & individual) factors influencing fornight/monthly QTD per species and stage; independent and joing models for the study areas. Estimate the relative weight of each factor on QTD variation (Variation partitioning) Model validation and cross-validation ; estimate predictive power of each model over QTD data - this study and previous data (1993-1997, 2003-2005 & 2007-2009 in Basque Country) Rasterize best predictive model to Atlantic Spain in a fortnight and monthly basis for the main period of tick activiy DESCRIPTIVE STUDY!!
Methodological approach “El Sueve” mountain chain
Methodological approach “Entzia” mountain chain
Results Ixodes ricinus Total Larvae Nymphs Adults
Results Haemaphysalis punctata Total Larvae Nymphs Adults
Results Haemaphysalis concinna Total Larvae Nymphs Adults
Results Rhipicephalus bursa & Haemaphysalis inermis Larvae Adults Adults Adults
Results Dermacentor reticulatus & marginatus Adults Adults
Thanks for your attention! Acknowledgements Thanks for your attention!