(Arbo)viruses in high European Arctic

Mgr. Jana ELSTEROVÁ

Rigorózní práce

Abstract:

Since an ongoing climate change covers strongly the polar areas. Higher temperatures and related climate parameters bring the emergence of new parasites and their pathogens to higher latitudes. This may influence zoonotic diseases including arthropod-transmitted diseases. The tick species Ixodes uriae, parasitizing seabirds in the Arctic, may transmit many pathogens including various arboviruses, Borrelia spirochetes and Babesia apicomplexans. In the study we diagnosed 89 individuals of seabird tick Ixodes uriae and searched for arthropod-borne viruses from the genera Flavivirus, Alphavirus, Orthobunyavirus, Phlebovirus and Orbivirus using genus-specific primers. Moreover we searched for presence of Borrelia spp. and Babesia spp. DNA in the ticks. All samples were negative after PCR amplification for all tested pathogens. The result signalizes that tested pathogens might not be present in such high latitudes of European Arctic. Though, the possibility of introduction of these pathogens may be observable in near future due to quick changing of the Arctic ecosystem with the rising of migration of vertebrate hosts including humans to the polar areas. It is though important to continue to study potential presence of pathogens in polar areas. We are working on increase of the number of tick samples to confirm the presence or absence of the tick-borne pathogens in the European Arctic.

Jazyk práce: angličtina

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 20. 9. 2016

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Obhajoba proběhla 6. 10. 2016

JIHOČESKÁ UNIVERZITA V ČESKÝCH BUDĚJOVICÍCH

Přírodovědecká fakulta

Rigorózní řízení / obor:
Biologie / Klinická biologie