Low genetic diversity among Francisella-like endosymbionts within different genotypes of Hyalomma dromedarii ticks infesting camels in Saudi Arabia.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aim

Hyalomma dromedarii ticks are vectors of disease agents and hosts of Francisella-like endosymbionts (FLEs). Knowledge about intraspecific genetic variation among H. dromedarii and its Francisella species is limited. The aims of this study were to investigate whether certain H. dromedarii genotypes are specialized in carrying specific Francisella species genotypes and scrutinize the population structure of H. dromedarii ticks in Saudi Arabia.

Materials and methods

We collected 151 H. dromedarii ticks from 33 camels from 13 locations in Saudi Arabia. The second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2), cytochrome c oxidase subunit-1(COI), and 16S rRNA genes were used for single- and multi-locus sequence typin

SUBMITTER: Elbir H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7429393 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature