Research team
Prioritizing Lyme borreliosis risk areas for forest and nature management based on novel insights in tick ecology.
Abstract
Cases of Lyme borreliosis, a disease transmitted to humans by the castor bean tick (Ixodes ricinus), have increased in recent years. To take efficient action it is important to know at which locations, frequently visited by humans, infected ticks can be found. Other studies have shown that certain forest types contain more ticks than others but it is not known what determines the spatial distribution of ticks within a suitable area. In this PhD project, I will investigate the distribution of ticks within forest, with respect to the amount of visitors frequent each location. Subsequently I will examine why ticks end up in this specific location. One aspect that may lead to the observed tick distribution is the location where ticks drop off their hosts after feeding on them, be it deer or smaller animals. To look into this, I will investigate where in our study areas hosts spend their time and where ticks prefer to drop off. Lastly, we will determine in the field which circumstances lead to high mortality among ticks. In these circumstances, there is lesser for intervention. Our findings will be summarized and translated into management recommendations for forest managers and policy makers. This will allow them to organise and manage forests in a more efficient way and reduce tick densities more efficiently. This will save time and money and minimize public health risks for visitors.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Matthysen Erik
- Co-promoter: Heylen Dieter
- Fellow: Van Gestel Mats
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project
Identification of Lyme borreliosis risk areas for forest and nature management based on novel insights in tick ecology.
Abstract
Cases of Lyme borreliosis, a disease transmitted to humans when bitten by the castor bean tick (Ixodes ricinus), have increased in recent years. To take efficient action it is important to know at which locations infected ticks can be found. In past research it has been shown that certain forest types contain more ticks than others. Up to now, however, it is not known what determines the spatial distribution of ticks within such a suitable area. In this PhD project, we will investigate the distribution of ticks on a fine scale, and examine what contributes to the ticks ending up in specific locations. One aspect that may lead to the observed tick distribution is the location where ticks drop off their hosts after they have fed on them, be it deer or smaller animals. To look into this, we will investigate where in our study areas hosts spend their time and, among these locations, where ticks prefer to drop off. Once detached from the host, ticks can still move around. We will confirm whether or not this movement is random. Lastly, we will determine in the field which circumstances lead to high mortality among ticks. In these circumstances, there is no need for intervention. Our findings will be summarized and translated into management recommendations for forest and natural area managers. This will allow them to design and manage greenspaces in a safer way and combat ticks in a more directed way, saving both time and money while minimizing public health risks of visitors.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Matthysen Erik
- Co-promoter: Heylen Dieter
- Fellow: Van Gestel Mats
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project
Individual variation and evolutionary potential of parasite traits in a songbird-tick system: direct and indirect genetic effects.
Abstract
The interaction between parasites and hosts is generally considered as one of the main driving forces in evolution. Evolution can occur if individual characteristics ("traits") are at least partly inherited, and are subject to natural selection. Therefore, to study the evolution of parasite traits, it is necessary to follow the success of individual parasites throughout their life-cycle. In many parasite species this is nearly impossible, except in highly artificial laboratory conditions. We will study the variation and heritability of parasite traits in ticks that are specialized on songbirds. We will breed ticks in the lab, and allow individual ticks to feed once per stage (larva, nymph or adult) on great tits taken from a wild population. In this way we will have information on the genetic relatedness of individual ticks as well as individual birds used in the study. This allows us to study to what extent variation in parasite success (feeding success, survival, number of eggs) is due to genetic variation in the parasite, or genetic variation in the host, or a combination of both. We will also study whether ticks that are highly successful on great tits do less well on other birds, and vice versa. Similarly we will study whether great tits vary in their ability to resist, or at least tolerate infestation by ticks, and whether birds that do better against one tick, are also successful against other tick species.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Matthysen Erik
- Co-promoter: Heylen Dieter
- Co-promoter: Van Dongen Stefan
Research team(s)
Project website
Project type(s)
- Research Project
Transmission cycles of tick-borne Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. and rickettsial bacteria in a songbird tick community
Abstract
Bird-tick interactions supposedly affect the human risk of tick-borne diseases. Making use of diagnostic tests, this project aims to increase our understanding of the contribution of woodland songbirds and bird-specialized ticks in the terrestrial cycles of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. and rickettsial bacteria by focussing on the competence of bird-specialized ticks to transmit these bacteria.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Heylen Dieter
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project
Transmission dynamics of tick-borne Borrelia and rickettsial bacteria in a songbird tick community.
Abstract
Although songbird-tick systems can affect the human risk of tick-borne diseases, little is known about the competence of birds and bird-specialized ticks to acquire, replicate and transmit tickborne pathogenic agents in the wild. This project aims at increasing our insights into the contribution of resident songbirds and bird-specialized ticks (Ixodes arboricola and I. frontalis) in the terrestrial cycles of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. and several rickettsial bacteria by focussing on their infection risk and capacity to transmit the bacteria.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Heylen Dieter
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project
Transmission dynamics of tick-borne Borrelia and rickettsial bacteria in a songbird tick community.
Abstract
This project aims to increase our understanding, by focussing on: 1) the infestation risk of ticks in woodland songbirds, 2) the capacity of bird-specialized ticks to transmit Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, the causative agents of Lyme disease in humans, and 3) the mechanisms of the spread of ticks and their diseases by woodland songbirds. The project focuses on two common hole-breeding songbird acting as tick-hosts, and three tick species with totally different life styles that commonly parasitize terrestrial songbirds in Europe and that co-occur in woodlands.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Matthysen Erik
- Fellow: Heylen Dieter
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project
Borrelia infections in songbirds and bird-specialized ticks
Abstract
Songbird-tick interactions supposedly affect the human risk of tick-borne diseases. Making use of diagnostic tests, this project aims to increase our understanding of the contribution of resident woodland songbirds and bird-specialized ticks in the terrestrial cycles of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. by focussing on the infection risk in birds, and the capacity of bird-specialized ticks to transmit Borrelia bacteria.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Heylen Dieter
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project
Host-parasite interactions between resident songbirds, ixodid ticks and Borrelia spirocheten.
Abstract
This project aims to increase our understanding, by focussing on: 1) the infestation risk of ticks in woodland songbirds, 2) the capacity of bird-specialized ticks to transmit Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, the causative agents of Lyme disease in humans, and 3) the mechanisms of the spread of ticks and their diseases by woodland songbirds. The project focuses on two common hole-breeding songbird acting as tick-hosts, and three tick species with totally different life styles that commonly parasitize terrestrial songbirds in Europe and that co-occur in woodlands.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Matthysen Erik
- Co-promoter: Leirs Herwig
- Fellow: Heylen Dieter
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project