title: Molecular Detection and Characterization of Zoonotic and Veterinary Pathogens in Ticks from Northeastern China.
abstract: Tick-borne diseases are considered as emerging infectious diseases in humans and animals in China. In this study,Ixodes persulcatus(n= 1699),Haemaphysalis concinna(n= 412),Haemaphysalis longicornis(n= 390),Dermacentor nuttalli(n= 253), andDermacentor silvarum(n= 204) ticks were collected by flagging from northeastern China, and detected for infection withAnaplasma,Ehrlichia,Babesia, andHepatozoonspp. by using nested polymerase chain reaction assays and sequencing analysis.Anaplasma phagocytophilumwas detected in all tick species, i.e.,I. persulcatus(9.4%),H. longicornis(1.9%),H. concinna(6.5%),D. nuttalli(1.7%), andD. silvarum(2.3%);Anaplasma boviswas detected inH. longicornis(0.3%) andH. concinna(0.2%);Ehrlichia muriswas detected inI. persulcatus(2.5%) andH. concinna(0.2%);CandidatusNeoehrlichia mikurensis was only detected inI. persulcatus(0.4%). TheEhrlichiavariant (GenBank access number KU921424), closely related toEhrlichia ewingii, was found inH. longicornis(0.8%) andH. concinna(0.2%).I. persulcatuswas infected withBabesia venatorum(1.2%),Babesia microti(0.6%), andBabesia divergens(0.6%). Additionally, fourBabesiasequence variants (GenBank access numbers 862303-862306) were detected inI. persulcatus,H. longicornis, andH. concinna, which belonged to the clusters formed by the parasites of dogs, sheep, and cattle (B. gibsoni,B. motasi, andB. crassa). TwoHepatozoonspp. (GenBank access numbers KX016028 and KX016029) associated with hepatozoonosis in Japanese martens were found in the collected ticks (0.1-3.1%). These findings showed the genetic variability ofAnaplasma,Ehrlichia,Babesia, andHepatozoonspp. circulating in ticks in northeastern China, highlighting the necessity for further research of these tick-associated pathogens and their role in human and animal diseases.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural UniversityChangchun, China; Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Military Veterinary Institute - Academy of Military Medical SciencesChangchun, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Mingxin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Huanhuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Second Clinical Medical School of Inner Mongolia University for the Nationalities, Inner Mongolia General Forestry Hospital Yakeshi, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Military Veterinary Institute - Academy of Military Medical Sciences Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Shuchao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Military Veterinary Institute - Academy of Military Medical Sciences Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Zedong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Hongyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Zhongyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Center for Prevention and Control of Animal Diseases of Chongqing Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Military Veterinary Institute - Academy of Military Medical Sciences Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Military Veterinary Institute - Academy of Military Medical Sciences Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: Anaplasma; Babesia; Ehrlichia; Hepatozoon; northeastern China; tick-borne diseases