{"id":664099,"date":"2025-04-21T09:20:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T06:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/more-ticks-carry-lyme-disease-bacteria-in-pheasant-release-areas-research-shows\/"},"modified":"2025-04-21T09:20:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T06:20:10","slug":"more-ticks-carry-lyme-disease-bacteria-in-pheasant-release-areas-research-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/more-ticks-carry-lyme-disease-bacteria-in-pheasant-release-areas-research-shows\/","title":{"rendered":"More ticks carry Lyme disease bacteria in pheasant-release areas, research shows"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n \"pheasant\"
\n Credit: Pixabay\/CC0 Public Domain
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Ticks are more likely to carry the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease in areas where pheasants are released, new research shows. The paper, published in the journal Ecology Letters<\/i>, is titled “The release of non-native game<\/a>birds is associated with amplified zoonotic disease risk.”<\/p>\n

Pheasants are not native to the UK, but about 47 million are released here each year for recreational shooting.<\/p>\n

Researchers studied ticks in 25 woodland areas in South West England where pheasants are released\u2014and 25 nearby control sites where no pheasants are released.<\/p>\n

They found that Borrelia spp.\u2014the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease\u2014was almost 2.5 times more common in ticks in the pheasant-release areas.<\/p>\n

The research was carried out by the University of Exeter and the UK Health Security Agency.<\/p>\n

“Borrelia bacteria can live in a wide range of hosts, including pheasants, wild birds and mammals\u2014and humans,” said Emile Michels, from the Center for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.<\/p>\n

“Pheasants are known to be ‘competent’ hosts of Borrelia\u2014meaning they have a relatively high likelihood of contracting and retransmitting the bacteria.<\/p>\n

“More research is needed, but our findings suggest there may be an increased risk of potential exposure to Borrelia-infected ticks for people\u2014such as gamekeepers\u2014who work in woodlands where pheasants are released in numbers.”<\/p>\n

Researchers tested ticks at different life stages (nymphs and adults) and found that, overall, the proportion containing Borrelia was 7.8% in pheasant-release woodlands, and 3.2% where pheasants were not released.<\/p>\n

Dr. Barbara Tschirren, also from the University of Exeter, said, “Our findings are evidence of ‘spillback’\u2014where non-native species increase the prevalence of native pathogens.<\/p>\n

“This can be an important route for the emergence of zoonoses (diseases that animals can give to humans).”<\/p>\n

Dr. Jolyon Medlock, head of the Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology team at UKHSA, said, “While we have observed an increase in the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease in ticks, we do not have data on the resulting impact on human health, including evidence of Lyme infection.<\/p>\n

“Following these findings, we continue to work with academic partners to better understand what drives Borrelia transmission, including the roles of climate and environmental change.”<\/p>\n

The control sites in the study were one to two kilometers from the pheasant-release sites, so more research would be required to see if Borrelia in ticks declines further at greater distances.<\/p>\n

\n

More information:<\/strong>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe release of non-native gamebirds is associated with amplified zoonotic disease risk, Ecology Letters<\/i> (2025). DOI: 10.1111\/ele.70115<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUniversity of Exeter
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCitation<\/strong>:
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMore ticks carry Lyme disease bacteria in pheasant-release areas, research shows (2025, April 21)
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tretrieved 21 April 2025
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfrom https:\/\/phys.org\/news<\/a>\/2025-04-lyme-disease-bacteria-pheasant-areas.html\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n