First detection of Rickettsia aeschlimannii in Hyalomma marginatum in Tibet, China

Abstract

Hyalomma marginatum is an important arthropod vector in the transmission of various zoonoses. The aim of this study was to identify the tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) maintained in Hy. marginatum in Tibet and to estimate the risk of human tick-borne diseases. Adult Hy. marginatum ticks (n = 14) feeding on yaks were collected. The individual DNA samples of these ticks were sequenced with metagenomic next-generation sequencing to survey the presence of TBPs. TBPs in individual ticks were identified with nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) combined with DNA sequencing. The presence of Rickettsia, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia in individual ticks was indicated by the taxonomic profiles at the genus level, but only Rickettsia aeschlimannii (100%, 13/13) was further detected in the ticks by nested PCR. This study provides information on the microbial communities of Hy. marginatum in Tibet, China, and provides the first report of R. aeschlimannii found in Hy. marginatum in Tibet. The results of this study indicated that yaks in Tibet are exposed to R. aeschlimannii.