Tiques Ixodidae parasites d'oiseaux et leur rôle pathogène

Abstract

The authors first give the list of Ixodid ticks which can be found on avian species in Europa and recall their pathogenic role for birds and mammals, when they are not specific, and, when they are, their eventual role as vectors or reservoir of germ for different kinds of infectious agents, more particularly for Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme borreliosis. Concerning that zoonosis, the authors were mostly interested by the presence of B. burgdorferi in Ixodes (Trichotoixodes) pari Leach 1815 (= Ixodes frontalis (Panzer, 1798)), a very specific tick for birds; considered generally as a rare species, but in fact a very common one. Research of B. burgdorferi (sensu late) by indirect immunofluorescence revealed the presence of that agent in near 10 per cent of studied I. pari, including all evolutive stages and gorged states. Observation of B. burgdorferi in not yet fed larvae collected on the grass, with a non negligible frequency, results in the possible transmission of this infectious agent from infected female to its progeny, by transovarial passage. Existence of such a possibility let the authors think that I. pari is very likely a vector from bird to bird and a true germ reservoir for the zoonosis