{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,8]],"date-time":"2026-01-08T20:45:38Z","timestamp":1767905138272,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,16]],"date-time":"2024-08-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1723766400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The progressing worldwide increases in tick occurrence and tick-borne diseases calls for the development of new prevention strategies to reduce their impact on human and animal health. Defining the risk of exposure to tick bites is therefore essential. Forestry workers are at high risk of tick bites. We set up an explorative study among forestry workers in the Alsace region in eastern France to measure the different factors affecting the risk of Ixodes ricinus tick bites during their activities in forests. For one year, forestry workers recorded the presence of ticks on their clothes and tick bites every time they were working in teams in different forest ecosystems. Questions about the prevention measures they followed were also noted. Among the 32 participants, we were able to differentiate between groups having a high, neutral, or low risk of being bitten. The median tick bite number per year was 4 (0\u20138). We tried to identify individual as well as environmental factors affecting the risk of tick bites. Factors influencing the risk were the seasonal peak of tick activity in May and June, the time of exposure, and the forest ecosystems visited during the year. Additional factors potentially affecting the risk were also identified.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens13080696","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,16]],"date-time":"2024-08-16T09:15:41Z","timestamp":1723799741000},"page":"696","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Risk of Ixodes ricinus Bites in a Population of Forestry Workers in an Endemic Region in France"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Antoine","family":"Grillon","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"UR3073, PHAVI, Groupe Borrelia, Universit\u00e9 de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France"},{"name":"Centre National de R\u00e9f\u00e9rence Borrelia, CHRU Strasbourg, F-67200 Strasbourg, France"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1178-1060","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Erik","family":"Sauleau","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ICube UMR 7357\u2014Laboratoire des Sciences de L\u2019ing\u00e9nieur, de L\u2019informatique et de L\u2019imagerie, Laboratoire, CS 10413, F-67412 Illkirch Cedex, France"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nathalie","family":"Boulanger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UR3073, PHAVI, Groupe Borrelia, Universit\u00e9 de Strasbourg, F-67000 Strasbourg, France"},{"name":"Centre National de R\u00e9f\u00e9rence Borrelia, CHRU Strasbourg, F-67200 Strasbourg, France"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wikel, S.K. (2018). Ticks and Tick-Borne Infections: Complex Ecology, Agents, and Host Interactions. Vet. Sci., 5.","DOI":"10.3390\/vetsci5020060"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20160117","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2016.0117","article-title":"Lyme Disease Ecology in a Changing World: Consensus, Uncertainty and Critical Gaps for Improving Control","volume":"372","author":"Kilpatrick","year":"2017","journal-title":"Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.11646\/zootaxa.2528.1.1","article-title":"The Argasidae, Ixodidae and Nuttalliellidae (Acari: Ixodida) of the World: A List of Valid Species Names","volume":"2528","author":"Guglielmone","year":"2010","journal-title":"Zootaxa"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102114","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ttbdis.2022.102114","article-title":"The Biology of Ixodes Ricinus with Emphasis on Its Ecology","volume":"14","author":"Kahl","year":"2023","journal-title":"Ticks Tick-Borne Dis."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"915","DOI":"10.1016\/S1286-4579(00)00393-2","article-title":"The Wild Hidden Face of Lyme Borreliosis in Europe","volume":"2","author":"Humair","year":"2000","journal-title":"Microbes Infect."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"360","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-021-04860-w","article-title":"Wild Ungulate Species Differ in Their Contribution to the Transmission of Ixodes ricinus-Borne Pathogens","volume":"14","author":"Fabri","year":"2021","journal-title":"Parasites Vectors"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1093\/jme\/tjad144","article-title":"Feeding and Reproductive Parameters of Adult Female Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) and Amblyomma americanum Parasitizing White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)","volume":"61","author":"Baker","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Med. Entomol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e81","DOI":"10.24072\/pcjournal.291","article-title":"The Distribution, Phenology, Host Range and Pathogen Prevalence of Ixodes Ricinus in France: A Systematic Map and Narrative Review","volume":"3","author":"Perez","year":"2023","journal-title":"Peer Community J."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2200961","DOI":"10.2807\/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.32.2200961","article-title":"Seroprevalence for Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato and Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Antibodies and Associated Risk Factors among Forestry Workers in Northern France, 2019 to 2020","volume":"28","author":"Septfons","year":"2023","journal-title":"Eurosurveillance"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"277","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-018-2860-2","article-title":"Seroprevalence of Borrelia Burgdorferi in Belgian Forestry Workers and Associated Risk Factors","volume":"11","author":"Robert","year":"2018","journal-title":"Parasites Vectors"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"938","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ttbdis.2018.03.013","article-title":"Factors Responsible for Ixodes Ricinus Nymph Abundance: Are Soil Features Indicators of Tick Abundance in a French Region Where Lyme Borreliosis Is Endemic?","volume":"9","author":"Goldstein","year":"2018","journal-title":"Ticks Tick-Borne Dis."},{"key":"ref_12","first-page":"400","article-title":"Surveillance Du Vecteur de La Borr\u00e9liose de Lyme, Ixodes Ricinus, En Alsace de 2013 \u00e0 2016","volume":"19\u201320","author":"Boulanger","year":"2018","journal-title":"Bull. Epid\u00e9miol. Hebd."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"69","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469-0691.2010.03175.x","article-title":"Lyme Borreliosis: Clinical Case Definitions for Diagnosis and Management in Europe","volume":"17","author":"Stanek","year":"2011","journal-title":"Clin. Microbiol. Infect."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1610","DOI":"10.1126\/science.8503006","article-title":"The Biological and Social Phenomenon of Lyme Disease","volume":"260","author":"Barbour","year":"1993","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Carr, A.L., Mitchell, R.D., Dhammi, A., Bissinger, B.W., Sonenshine, D.E., and Roe, R.M. (2017). Tick Haller\u2019s Organ, a New Paradigm for Arthropod Olfaction: How Ticks Differ from Insects. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 18.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms18071563"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Carr, A.L., and Salgado Id, V.L. (2019). Ticks Home in on Body Heat: A New Understanding of Haller\u2019s Organ and Repellent Action. PLoS ONE, 14.","DOI":"10.1101\/564179"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104175","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jinsphys.2020.104175","article-title":"Neurophysiological and Behavioral Responses of Blacklegged Ticks to Host Odors","volume":"128","author":"Josek","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Insect Physiol."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109036","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2020.109036","article-title":"Attract or Repel Amblyomma sculptum Ticks: Screening of Semiochemicals","volume":"278","author":"Ferreira","year":"2020","journal-title":"Vet. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"302","DOI":"10.1186\/1475-2875-8-302","article-title":"Cultured Skin Microbiota Attracts Malaria Mosquitoes","volume":"17","author":"Verhulst","year":"2009","journal-title":"Malar. J."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"159","DOI":"10.1016\/0169-4758(96)10002-8","article-title":"Limburger Cheese as an Attractant for the Malaria Mosquito Anopheles Gambiae s.s","volume":"12","author":"Knols","year":"1996","journal-title":"Parasitol. Today"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"246","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pt.2021.09.012","article-title":"Human Attractive Cues and Mosquito Host-Seeking Behavior","volume":"38","author":"Riffell","year":"2022","journal-title":"Trends Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"409","DOI":"10.1016\/S0169-4758(99)01514-8","article-title":"Infochemicals in Mosquito Host Selection: Human Skin Microflora and Plasmodium Parasites","volume":"15","author":"Braks","year":"1999","journal-title":"Parasitol. Today"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"36","DOI":"10.3201\/eid1101.040303","article-title":"Hypersensitivity to Ticks and Lyme Disease Risk","volume":"11","author":"Burke","year":"2005","journal-title":"Emerg. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"58","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jprot.2015.07.005","article-title":"Modulation of Host Immunity by Tick Saliva","volume":"128","author":"Kotal","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Proteom."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"470","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ttbdis.2018.11.005","article-title":"Wonders of Tick Saliva","volume":"10","author":"Nuttall","year":"2018","journal-title":"Ticks Tick-Borne Dis."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wikel, S.K., Aksoy, S., and Dimopoulos, G. (2017). Tick Saliva: A Modulator of Host Defenses. Arthropod Vector: Controller of Disease Transmission, Elsevier Academic Press.","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-12-805360-7.00009-5"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1217","DOI":"10.1128\/CVI.00201-06","article-title":"Confirmation of Tick Bite by Detection of Antibody to Ixodes Calreticulin Salivary Protein","volume":"13","author":"Ryan","year":"2006","journal-title":"Clin. Vaccine Immunol. CVI"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"van Oosterwijk, J.G., and Wikel, S.K. (2021). Resistance to Ticks and the Path to Anti-Tick and Transmission Blocking Vaccines. Vaccines, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/vaccines9070725"}],"container-title":["Pathogens"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-0817\/13\/8\/696\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T15:37:47Z","timestamp":1760110667000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-0817\/13\/8\/696"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,16]]},"references-count":28,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,8]]}},"alternative-id":["pathogens13080696"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/pathogens13080696","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-0817"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-0817","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,16]]}}}