High Diversity and Prevalence of Rickettsial Agents in <i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i> Ticks from Livestock in Karst Landscapes of Southwest China
Ticks and tick-borne pathogens pose a significant threat to human and animal health, yet the diversity and prevalence of tick-borne microorganisms in karst regions remains inadequately explored. In October 2023, a total of 274 <i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i> ticks were collected from live...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| author | Ya-Ting Liu Yi-Fei Wang Ming-Zhu Zhang Dai-Yun Zhu Yi Sun Cai-Wei Gong Lin Zhan Xiao-Ming Cui Wu-Chun Cao |
| author_facet | Ya-Ting Liu Yi-Fei Wang Ming-Zhu Zhang Dai-Yun Zhu Yi Sun Cai-Wei Gong Lin Zhan Xiao-Ming Cui Wu-Chun Cao |
| author_sort | Ya-Ting Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ticks and tick-borne pathogens pose a significant threat to human and animal health, yet the diversity and prevalence of tick-borne microorganisms in karst regions remains inadequately explored. In October 2023, a total of 274 <i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i> ticks were collected from livestock in Guizhou Province, which boasts the largest karst area in China. Pathogen identification was subsequently performed using PCR amplification, Sanger sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis. High microbial diversity was noted, with five bacterial species from the order Rickettsiales detected, including those from the genera <i>Rickettsia</i> (family <i>Rickettsiaceae</i>), <i>Anaplasma</i>, and <i>Ehrlichia</i> (family <i>Anaplasmataceae</i>). The overall prevalence of infection with at least one pathogen was remarkably high at 94.5%. The highest positive rate was observed for <i>Candidatus</i> Rickettsia jingxinensis at 90.9%. A novel <i>Ehrlichia</i> species, provisionally designated as <i>Candidatus</i> Ehrlichia carsus, was identified with a positive rate of 16.8%. In addition, <i>Anaplasma marginale</i>, <i>Ehrlchia minasensis</i> and <i>Ehrlichia canis</i> were detected in 15.3%, 4.7% and 1.5%, respectively. The co-infections involving two or three rickettsial species were observed in 34.3% ticks. These findings highlight the high diversity and prevalence of tick-borne rickettsial agents in the karst area, underscoring the need for enhanced surveillance and effective tick control to mitigate disease risks to both humans and livestock. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4ae5ddb8cb9a4d478d920a20fc393985 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj-art-4ae5ddb8cb9a4d478d920a20fc3939852025-08-20T02:18:20ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072025-03-0113476510.3390/microorganisms13040765High Diversity and Prevalence of Rickettsial Agents in <i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i> Ticks from Livestock in Karst Landscapes of Southwest ChinaYa-Ting Liu0Yi-Fei Wang1Ming-Zhu Zhang2Dai-Yun Zhu3Yi Sun4Cai-Wei Gong5Lin Zhan6Xiao-Ming Cui7Wu-Chun Cao8State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, ChinaInstitute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, ChinaInstitute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, ChinaAnimal Husbandry Development Center of Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Duyun 558000, ChinaNational Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang 550001, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, ChinaTicks and tick-borne pathogens pose a significant threat to human and animal health, yet the diversity and prevalence of tick-borne microorganisms in karst regions remains inadequately explored. In October 2023, a total of 274 <i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i> ticks were collected from livestock in Guizhou Province, which boasts the largest karst area in China. Pathogen identification was subsequently performed using PCR amplification, Sanger sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis. High microbial diversity was noted, with five bacterial species from the order Rickettsiales detected, including those from the genera <i>Rickettsia</i> (family <i>Rickettsiaceae</i>), <i>Anaplasma</i>, and <i>Ehrlichia</i> (family <i>Anaplasmataceae</i>). The overall prevalence of infection with at least one pathogen was remarkably high at 94.5%. The highest positive rate was observed for <i>Candidatus</i> Rickettsia jingxinensis at 90.9%. A novel <i>Ehrlichia</i> species, provisionally designated as <i>Candidatus</i> Ehrlichia carsus, was identified with a positive rate of 16.8%. In addition, <i>Anaplasma marginale</i>, <i>Ehrlchia minasensis</i> and <i>Ehrlichia canis</i> were detected in 15.3%, 4.7% and 1.5%, respectively. The co-infections involving two or three rickettsial species were observed in 34.3% ticks. These findings highlight the high diversity and prevalence of tick-borne rickettsial agents in the karst area, underscoring the need for enhanced surveillance and effective tick control to mitigate disease risks to both humans and livestock.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/4/765karst landscapestick-borne microorganismsspotted fever group <i>Rickettsia</i><i>Anaplasma</i><i>Ehrlichia</i><i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i> |
| spellingShingle | Ya-Ting Liu Yi-Fei Wang Ming-Zhu Zhang Dai-Yun Zhu Yi Sun Cai-Wei Gong Lin Zhan Xiao-Ming Cui Wu-Chun Cao High Diversity and Prevalence of Rickettsial Agents in <i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i> Ticks from Livestock in Karst Landscapes of Southwest China Microorganisms karst landscapes tick-borne microorganisms spotted fever group <i>Rickettsia</i> <i>Anaplasma</i> <i>Ehrlichia</i> <i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i> |
| title | High Diversity and Prevalence of Rickettsial Agents in <i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i> Ticks from Livestock in Karst Landscapes of Southwest China |
| title_full | High Diversity and Prevalence of Rickettsial Agents in <i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i> Ticks from Livestock in Karst Landscapes of Southwest China |
| title_fullStr | High Diversity and Prevalence of Rickettsial Agents in <i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i> Ticks from Livestock in Karst Landscapes of Southwest China |
| title_full_unstemmed | High Diversity and Prevalence of Rickettsial Agents in <i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i> Ticks from Livestock in Karst Landscapes of Southwest China |
| title_short | High Diversity and Prevalence of Rickettsial Agents in <i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i> Ticks from Livestock in Karst Landscapes of Southwest China |
| title_sort | high diversity and prevalence of rickettsial agents in i rhipicephalus microplus i ticks from livestock in karst landscapes of southwest china |
| topic | karst landscapes tick-borne microorganisms spotted fever group <i>Rickettsia</i> <i>Anaplasma</i> <i>Ehrlichia</i> <i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/4/765 |
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