The human infesting ticks in the city of Istanbul and its vicinity with reference to a new species for Turkey

Abstract

This study, based on a passive surveillance, has examined 21198 ticks which were detached from a number of people who received hospital consultation and service following the complaints of tick bites between the years of 2006 and 2011 in the city of Istanbul and its vicinity. The ticks have been evaluated in terms of species, developmental stage, gender, seasonal distribution, and locality as urban and rural areas. They belong to 21 species from the genera Ixodes, Hyalomma, Rhipicephalus, Haemaphysalis, Dermacentor, Argas, Ornithodoros and Otobius. The most prevalent ticks are the nymphs of Ixodes and Hyalomma, and Ixodes ricinus. While Ornithodorus lahorensis and Ixodes gibbosus have been seen on humans in Turkey for the first time, Ixodes acuminatus is a new record for the tick fauna of Turkey.