Abstract
BackgroundHard ticks act as arthropod vectors in the transmission of human and animal pathogens and are widely distributed in northern China. The aim of this study is to screen the important tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) carried by hard ticks in Inner Mongolia using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and to estimate the risk of human infection imposed by tick bites.MethodsThe adult Dermacentor nuttalli (n = 203) and Ixodes persulcatus (n = 36) ticks feeding on cattle were collected. The pooled DNA samples prepared from these ticks were sequenced as the templates for mNGS to survey the presence of TBPs at the genus level. Individual tick DNA samples were detected by genus--specific or group-specific nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of these TBPs and combined with DNA sequencing assay to confirm the results of mNGS.ResultsR. raoultii (45.32%, 92/203), Candidatus R. tarasevichiae (5.42%, 11/203), Anaplasma sp. Mongolia (26.60%, 54/203), Coxiella-like endosymbiont (CLE) (53.69%, 109/203), and Babesia venatorum (7.88%, 16/203) were detected in D. nuttalli, while R. raoultii (30.56%, 11/36), Anaplasma sp. Mongolia (27.80%, 10/36), and CLE (27.80%, 10/36) were detected in I. persulcatus. The double- and triple-pathogen/endosymbiont co-infections were detected in 40.39% of D. nuttalli and 13.89% of I. persulcatus, respectively. The dual co-infection with R. raoultii and CLE (14.29%, 29/203) and triple co-infection with R. raoultii, Anaplasma sp. Mongolia, and CLE (13.79%, 28/203) were most frequent in D. nuttalli.ConclusionsThis study provides insight into the microbial diversity of D. nuttalli and I. persulcatus in Inner Mongolia, China, reporting for the first time that Candidatus R. tarasevichiae had been found in D. nuttalli in China, and for the first time in the world that Anaplasma sp. Mongolia has been detected in I. persulcatus. This study proves that various vertically transmitted pathogens co-inhabit D. nuttalli and I. persulcatus, and indicates that cattle in Inner Mongolia are exposed to several TBPs.Graphical
Highlights
Hard ticks act as arthropod vectors in the transmission of human and animal pathogens and are widely distributed in northern China
Taxonomic classification A total of 239 adult hard ticks were identified as D. nuttalli (n = 203) and I. persulcatus (n = 36) based on morphological identifications confirmed by species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing assay
We applied metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) combined with nested PCR to survey tick-borne pathogen (TBP) in D. nuttalli and I. persulcatus feeding on cattle in Inner Mongolia, China
Summary
Hard ticks act as arthropod vectors in the transmission of human and animal pathogens and are widely distributed in northern China. The aim of this study is to screen the important tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) carried by hard ticks in Inner Mongolia using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and to estimate the risk of human infection imposed by tick bites. Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are obligate blood-sucking parasitic arthropods which can infest mammals, birds, and reptiles, and act as arthropod vectors in the transmission of human and animal pathogens. A wide variety of pathogens can be maintained and transmitted by hard ticks, including Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., Babesia spp., Borrelia spp., etc. Hard ticks are usually considered to be the most important vectors of pathogens, and knowledge of the microbial communities within these ticks will be of benefit for risk assessment of tick-borne diseases. Human co-infection with more than one tick-borne pathogen (TBP) may occur after tick bite [12,13,14]
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