Tick-Borne Pathogens and Diseases in Greece

Abstract

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are recognized as a serious and growing public health epidemic in Europe, and are a cause of major losses in livestock production worldwide. This review is an attempt to present a summary of results from studies conducted over the last century until the end of the year 2020 regarding ticks, tick-borne pathogens, and tick-borne diseases in Greece. We provide an overview of the tick species found in Greece, as well as the most important tick-borne pathogens (viruses, bacteria, protozoa) and corresponding diseases in circulation. We also consider prevalence data, as well as geographic and climatic conditions. Knowledge of past and current situations of TBDs, as well as an awareness of (risk) factors affecting future developments will help to find approaches to integrated tick management as part of the 'One Health Concept'; it will assist in avoiding the possibility of hotspot disease emergencies and intra- and intercontinental transmission. Increased surveillance in Greece is required to ensure clear and effective policies for TBD control.

Keywords: Greece; climate change; tick-borne diseases.

Figure 1

Map of the reported seroprevalence rates and isolated cases of human tick-borne diseases in different regional units of Greece, as described in the literature. ¹ [47], ² [48], ³ [52], ⁴ [53], ⁵ [55], ⁶ [62], ⁷ [54], ⁸ [76], ⁹ [77], ¹⁰ [68], ¹¹ [66], ¹² [67], ¹³ [31], ¹⁴ [72], ¹⁵ [32], ¹⁶ [73]. Map created with mapchart.net, accessed on 13 August 2021.

Figure 2

Map of the reported seroprevalence rates and isolated cases of various animal tick-borne diseases in different geographic regions of Greece, as described in the literature. ¹ [98], ² [80], ³ [83], ⁴ [82], ⁵ [85], ⁶ [84], ⁷ [161], ⁸ [78], ⁹ [142], ¹⁰ [87], ¹¹ [157], ¹² [158]. Map created with mapchart.net, accessed on 13 August 2021.