Ticks as vectors of zoonotic pathogens: public health aspects in the Istria county

Authors

Keywords:

Istria County, public health, ticks, Lyme disease, zoonoses

Abstract

Monitoring the presence of vectors of infectious diseases is of critical importance for public health protection and it further emphasizes the necessity of an interdisciplinary approach within the “One Health” concept. This study is based on field research of ticks as vectors of zoonotic pathogens and the analysis of tick-borne disease incidence in Istria County, Croatia. According to data from the Croatian Institute of Public Health for the period 2016–2022, a total of 126 cases of zoonotic diseases were reported, of which 114 (93.4%) were cases of Lyme borreliosis, two were cases of Q fever, and one case each of rickettsiosis and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. Eight reported cases of zoonoses were recorded in non-residents of Istria County. As part of this research, systematic sampling of hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) was conducted from 2020 to 2023 using the flagging method and collection from the host, yielding a total of 2349 specimens belonging to 12 different species from the genera Ixodes, Dermacentor, Hyalomma, Haemaphysalis, and Rhipicephalus, along with one soft tick from the genus Argas. The dominant species was the sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus L.), accounting for 70.84% of the total sample. This species is a known vector of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis) and Coxiella burnetii (the causative agent of Q fever).
The results indicate a notable presence and wide distribution of vectors responsible for the transmission of Lyme borreliosis, confirmed as the most prevalent zoonosis in the region. The obtained data support the need for continuous entomological surveillance and epidemiological monitoring of vector-borne diseases to enable more accurate risk assessment and the development of appropriate public health measures.

Author Biographies

  • Maja Cvek, Teaching Institute of Public Healthof Istria County

    Graduated in the field of biology at the Faculty of Science at the University of Zagreb (PMF Zagreb) graduated (2001) in two majors, ecology and professor of biology. Master's degree in biology at the Faculty of Science at the University of Zagreb at PMF Zagreb (2005). Doctoral student of the study program "Biomedicine and Health" at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Rijeka (from 2022). Since 2019, she has been working at the Pest control Department, Ecology Service, Teaching Institute for Public Health of the Istrian region in Pula in the fields of medical entomology and pest control. Her current research is in the field of medical entomology and public health

  • Marko Vucelja, Fakultet šumarstva i drvne tehnologije Zagreb

    Marko Vucelja graduated from the Faculty of Forestry, University of Zagreb, in 2007. He completed his doctoral studies in 2013, also at the Faculty of Forestry. Since 2008, he has been employed at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, where he participates in teaching and scientific research activities. His field of work includes forestry, with a special emphasis on sustainable management of forest ecosystems and biodiversity, an integrated approach and the zoonotic aspect of rodents.

  • Darja Puškadija, Teaching Institute of Public Health of Istria County

    Master in Medical Biotechnology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Trieste, Italy (graduated in 2010) in the field of molecular genetics. Doctoral student of the study program "Biomedicine and Health" at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Rijeka (from 2022). Since 2014 she has been working at the Department of Microbiology and Parasitology at the Teaching Institute for Public Health of the County of Istria as head of the department for the production of microbiological plates and is part of the team for molecular diagnosis and the implementation of new molecular methods in diagnostics clinic. Her current research is in the field of applied molecular biology and public health

  • Danijela Poljuha, Institute for Agriculture and Tourism Poreč

    Dr. Danijela Poljuha, scientific advisor,  is currently the Head of the Genetics Laboratory at the Institute. Her research focuses on plant genetics and the application of molecular markers for the protection and conservation of genetic resources in horticulture, with an emphasis on Mediterranean crops such as grapevine and olive. In addition to her scientific work, she is also engaged in science popularization.

  • Dalibor Broznić, Medicinski fakultet, Zavod za medicinsku kemiju, biokemiju i kliničku kemiju

    Dalibor Broznić graduated Environmental Public Health at the University of Rijeka, Faculty of Medicine. Master’s degree and PhD (Natural Sciences - Analytical Chemistry) he obtained in 2007 and in 2010, respectively at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology. Since 2004, he has been employed at the Faculty of Medicine in Rijeka (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry) as an Associate Professor. The thematic of his scientific interests are pesticides, their behaviour in the environment (soil and water), optimization of methods for analyte isolation from complex matrices (SPE, ASE, micro extraction, QuEChERS) and subsequent analysis of analytes using different chromatographic techniques (LC/MS, GC/MS), mathematical and computer modelling of ecological systems. He attended several professional and scientific training courses abroad. He is the author, co-author and reviewer of numerous papers in international peer-reviewed journals, and was a lecturer and member of Scientific Committees at international professional and scientific conferences.

  • Emina Pustijanac, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University in Pula

    Emina Pustijanac She obtained a Master's degree in Microbiology from the Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2006. From 2009 to 2013, she worked as an Assistant in the Undergraduate Program in Marine Science at Juraj Dobrila University of Pula in Pula, Croatia. She pursued an Interdisciplinary Doctoral Study in Biomedicine, specializing in Microbiology, at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and successfully completed her PhD in 2013. Senior Assistant at Juraj Dobrila University of Pula from 2013. Since 2015, she has been an Assistant Professor at Juraj Dobrila University of Pula. Since 2021, she has served as the Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, providing leadership and guidance to the faculty. She is a member of the Croatian Microbiological Society. Her research is in the field of Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Environmental Health.

  • Marina Šantić, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology

    Prof. Dr. sc. Marina Šantić, full professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, where she is the head of the Department of Microbiology and Parasitology. Her scientific research focuses on the pathogenesis of tularemia, especially on the intracellular life of the bacterium Francisella tularensis and its adaptation within amoebas and macrophages. She is the leader of several scientific projects funded by the University of Rijeka and the Croatian Society of Biological Sciences, and her works have been published in reputable international journals. In addition to scientific work, she actively participates in the popularization of science, including the organization of congresses and public lectures on emergent zoonoses and biological threats.

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Published

2025-11-24

Issue

Vol. 149 No. 11-12 (2025): online first

Section

Review article

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Maja Cvek, Marko Vucelja, Darja Puškadija, Danijela Poljuha, Dalibor Broznić, Emina Pustijanac, Marina Šantić, Dijana Tomić Linšak

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Ticks as vectors of zoonotic pathogens: public health aspects in the Istria county. (2025). Journal of Forestry, 149(11-12). https://ojs.srce.hr/index.php/sumlist/article/view/36395