Molecular analysesof ticks and tick-borne pathogens from Switzerland

Abstract

In Europe, hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are among the most important transmitters (vectors) of pathogens causing diseases in domestic or wild animals and humans (Jongejan and Uilenberg, 2004). While in the era of climate change the increasing significance of ticks and tick-borne diseases has long been recognized on this continent (Parola and Raoult, 2001), not all regions are equally affected.