BIRDS AND THE PROBLEM OF NATURAL FOCI OF TICKBORNE ENCEPHALITIS,
Abstract
The data thus far accumulated on the importance of birds as ixodid tick-hosts and on their relationship to tickborne encephalitis virus in experimental and natural infection, do not confirm the views held by some authors that birds play a very important role in maintaining natural foci of this disease, and that the virus adapts extremely well to the bird organism. The importance of birds in natural foci of tickborne encephalitis evidently differs from the role they play in foci of several so-called mosquito borne viral encephalitis whose existence is to a great extent ensured by birds. Birds are most probably only supplementary hosts for the tickborne encephalitis agent (Isakov, 1959) and may play a considerable part in its circulation process only in regions where they are attacked by many ixodid ticks. These data support the earlier stated view (Korenberg, 1961, 1962) that in the East European plains, where very few ticks parasitize birds, these vertebrates contact the virus relatively rarely and play no significant role in maintaining tickborne encephalitis foci. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1968
- Accession Number
- AD0670360
Entities
People
- E. I. Korenberg
Organizations
- Naval Medical Research Center