TOMSK, Jul 27 – RIA Tomsk. Biologists of Tomsk State University (TSU), as part of an international team of scientists, have found seven new species of ticks in bats living in Belarus; the scientists are especially concerned about the tick Carios vespertilionis, which attacks humans and is the agent of many dangerous diseases, the university's press service said on Tuesday.
"The Russian-American research team has published an article on the results of a study of cheiropterous animals in Belarus. In their work, the biologists describe seven species of ticks that were first found on bats in that country. Scientists are concerned that among the identified parasites there are species that transmit infections dangerous to humans," says the report.
It is specified that Spinturnix plecotina – a specific parasite of Plecotus (a fairly rare group of bat species), Macronyssus corethroproctus – specific parasite of Myotis dasycneme (a species that is rare in Europe and listed in the Red Books of different countries), Macronyssus kolenatii – parasite specific to different species of Pipistrellus - were found and described among new to Belarus species of ticks."In the article, biologists especially focus on the discovery of the Argasidae Carios vespertilionis. This finding is of concern to scientists because many dangerous pathogens - such as Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, Borrelia – have been associated with it; in addition, it attacks humans," adds the report.
The bats were caught in Dragichin, Dzerzhinsk, Cherven, Nesvizh and other areas. After removal of ticks, the researchers released the chiroptera.
The research team included employees of TSU, Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus on Bioresources, University of Michigan, Tyumen State Medical University and Tyumen State University. The study resulted in the article "A survey of bat ectoparasitic mites of Belarus" published in the highly rated International Journal of Acarology.