Abstract
Rhipicephalus microplus, a vector that can transmit many pathogens to humans and domestic animals, is widely distributed in Yunnan province, China. However, few reports on the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in Rh. microplus in Yunnan are available. The aim of this study was to detect TBPs in Rh. microplus in Yunnan and to analyze the phylogenetic characterization of TBPs detected in these ticks. The adult Rh. microplus (n = 516) feeding on cattle were collected. The pooled DNA samples of these ticks were evaluated using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and then TBPs in individual ticks were identified using genus- or group-specific nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) combined with DNA sequencing assay. As a result, Candidatus Rickettsia jingxinensis (24.61%, 127/516), Anaplasma marginale (13.18%, 68/516), Coxiella burnetii (3.10%, 16/516), and Coxiella-like endosymbiont (CLE) (8.33%, 43/516) were detected. The dual coinfection with Ca. R. jingxinensis and A. marginale and the triple coinfection with Ca. R. jingxinensis, A. marginale, and CLE were most frequent and detected in 3.68% (19/516) and 3.10% (16/516) of these ticks, respectively. The results provide insight into the diversity of TBPs and their coinfections in Rh. microplus in Yunnan province of China, reporting for the first time that C. burnetii had been found in Rh. microplus in China. Multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis with 6 loci (MLVA-6) discriminated the C. burnetii detected in Rh. microplus in Yunnan into MLVA genotype 1, which is closely related to previously described genotypes found primarily in tick and human samples from different regions of the globe, indicating a potential public health threat posed by C. burnetii in Rh. microplus in Yunnan.
Highlights
Ticks are distributed widely across the world, and approximately 10% of the currently known 867 tick species act as arthropod vectors in the transmission of human and animal pathogens (Zhang et al, 2019; Yang et al, 2021)
We investigated the potential tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in Rh. microplus collected from cattle in Yunnan
Tick species were identified based on morphological characterization and by molecular biology methods based on the sequences of species-specific 16S rRNA and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) genes, as previously described (Chitimia et al, 2010)
Summary
Ticks are distributed widely across the world, and approximately 10% of the currently known 867 tick species act as arthropod vectors in the transmission of human and animal pathogens (Zhang et al, 2019; Yang et al, 2021). As tick-borne diseases become more prevalent, the likelihood of coinfection with more than one tick-borne pathogen (TBP) in ticks is increasing and such coinfections have important repercussions on human or animal health which can alter clinical presentation, disease severity, and treatment response in tick-borne diseases (Vaumourin et al, 2015) and may play a role in incidence, distribution, and possible control of tick-borne diseases (Andersson et al, 2017). Rhipicephalus microplus is a common vector for the transmission of a great variety of microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungi, or toxins. Q fever is typically an acute febrile illness with non-specific clinical signs in humans, but Q fever may manifest in human as an acute hepatitis and pneumonia or as chronic diseases that are seen in severe cases or life-threatening diseases such as valvular endocarditis (Sulyok et al, 2014)
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