Microbial Diversity of Ticks and a Novel Typhus Group Rickettsia Species (Rickettsiales Bacterium Ac37b) in Inner Mongolia, China

Overview

Journal Parasite

Specialty Parasitology

Date 2023 Dec 12

PMID 38084939

Authors

Si Su

Mei Hong

Meng-Yu Cui

Zheng Gui

Shi-Fa Ma

Lin Wu

Li-Li Xing

Lan Mu

Jing-Feng Yu

Shao-Yin Fu

Rui-Juan Gao

Dong-Dong Qi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Ticks can carry multiple pathogens, and Inner Mongolia's animal husbandry provides excellent environmental conditions for ticks. This study characterized the microbiome of ticks from different geographical locations in Inner Mongolia; 905 Dermacentor nuttalli and 36 Ixodes persulcatus were collected from sheep in three main pasture areas and from bushes within the forested area. Mixed DNA samples were prepared from three specimens from each region and tick species. Microbial diversity was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing, and α and β diversity were determined. The predominant bacterial genera were Rickettsia (54.60%), including Rickettsiales bacterium Ac37b (19.33%) and other Rickettsia (35.27%), Arsenophonus (11.21%), Candidatus Lariskella (10.84%), and Acinetobacter (7.17%). Rickettsia bellii was identified in I. persulcatus, while Rickettsiales bacterium Ac37b was found in D. nuttalli from Ordos and Chifeng. Potential Rickettsia and Anaplasma coinfections were observed in the Ordos region. Tick microbial diversity analysis in Inner Mongolia suggests that sheep at the sampling sites were exposed to multiple pathogens.

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