Habitat-Specific Patterns of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Urban and Suburban Landscapes

Tick-borne diseases are an increasing public health concern in Europe, driven by climate change, landscape transformation, and expanding human activity. Urban green spaces provide suitable habitats for ticks and increase human exposure to tick-borne pathogens (TBPs), yet habitat-specific patterns in urban and suburban environments remain poorly characterized. This study examined tick distribution and TBPs prevalence across 11 urban and suburban sites in Kaunas County, Lithuania. A total of 1539 questing Ixodes ricinus ticks were collected and screened by real-time PCR for Borrelia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Rickettsia spp., and Babesia spp., with further species identification by sequencing. Borrelia spp. were most prevalent (24.43%), followed by Rickettsia spp. (7.60%), N. mikurensis (6.63%), A. phagocytophilum (3.64%), and Babesia spp. (2.53%). Tick density, pathogen prevalence, and species diversity varied among habitats, with higher values in forested and ecotonal areas, but notable infection rates were also observed in managed urban sites. Co-infections occurred in 18.8% of infected ticks. Our findings demonstrate that the circulation of TBPs in urban and suburban landscapes is shaped by local habitat features, host communities, and management intensity, highlighting the need for habitat-specific risk assessment in urban planning and public health.