First Record of Ixodes ariadnae (Acari: Ixodidae) in Slovakia

Animals 2026 Open access

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Authors: Jakub Lipinský, Patrícia Petroušková, Monika Drážovská, Emília Vasilová, Miloš Halán, Blažena Hajdová, Anna Ondrejková, Boris Vojtek, Marián Prokeš, Lýdia Gogoľová, Katarína Franková, Ľuboš Korytár
DOI: 10.3390/ani16030391
Cited by: 2
References: 35

Abstract

Herein we report the first occurrence of Ixodes ariadnae in Slovakia. One engorged female was collected from a greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis) in the spring of 2025. Identification of the collected I. ariadnae specimen was based on morphological characters and confirmed by sequencing COI genes and mitochondrial 16S rDNA. Sequences showed > 99–100% similarity to specimens collected in other European countries. This expands the known range of I. ariadnae and calls for the further investigation into its host associations, prevalence, and potential role in tick-borne pathogen transmission among European bats.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Vector-borne infectious diseases Zoonotic diseases and public health Bartonella species infections research

Publication details

Journal / source
Animals
Publisher
MDPI AG
Volume
16
Issue
3
Pages
391–391
Publication date
27 January 2026
Language
EN