High Diversity and Prevalence of Rickettsial Agents in <i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i> Ticks from Livestock in Karst Landscapes of Southwest China.

ABSTRACT: 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 Rhipicephalus microplus 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 Rickettsia (family Rickettsiaceae), Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia (family Anaplasmataceae). The overall prevalence of infection with at least one pathog

SUBMITTER: Liu YT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12029551 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature