title: Coxiella Detection in Ticks from Wildlife and Livestock in Malaysia.
abstract: Recent studies have shown that ticks harbor Coxiella-like bacteria, which are potentially tick-specific endosymbionts. We recently described the detection of Coxiella-like bacteria and possibly Coxiella burnetii in ticks found from rural areas in Malaysia. In the present study, we collected ticks, including Haemaphysalis bispinosa, Haemaphysalis hystricis, Dermacentor compactus, Dermacentor steini, and Amblyomma sp. from wildlife and domesticated goats from four different locations in Malaysia. Coxiella 16s rRNA genomic sequences were detected by PCR in 89% of ticks tested. Similarity analysis and phylogenetic analyses of the 16s rRNA and rpoB partial sequences were performed for 10 representative samples selected based on the tick species, sex, and location. The findings here suggested the presence of C. burnetii in two samples, each from D. steini and H. hystricis. The sequences of both samples clustered with published C. burnetii sequences. The remaining eight tick samples were shown to harbor 16s rRNA sequences of Coxiella-like bacteria, which clustered phylogenetically according to the respective tick host species. The findings presented here added to the growing evidence of the association between Coxiella-like bacteria and ticks across species and geographical boundaries. The importance of C. burnetii found in ticks in Malaysia warrants further investigation.
authors.affiliation: 1 Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya , Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia .
authors.forename: Jing-Jing
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Khoo
authors.affiliation: 1 Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya , Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia .|2 Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya , Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia .
authors.forename: Fang-Shiang
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: 1 Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya , Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia .|2 Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya , Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia .
authors.forename: Fezshin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: 1 Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya , Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia .|2 Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya , Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia .
authors.forename: Wai-Hong
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Phoon
authors.affiliation: 1 Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya , Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia .
authors.forename: Chee-Sieng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Khor
authors.affiliation: 3 Naval Medical Research Center-Asia (NMRC-A) , Singapore, Singapore .
authors.forename: Brian L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Pike
authors.affiliation: 1 Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya , Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia .|2 Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya , Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia .
authors.forename: Li-Yen
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: 1 Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya , Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia .|2 Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya , Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia .
authors.forename: Sazaly
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: AbuBakar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D003381:Coxiella / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D006041:Goats; D058751:Livestock / Q000469:parasitology*; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Coxiella; domestic animals; ticks; zoonotic