Ticks and Rickettsiae Associated with Wild Animals Sold in Bush Meat Markets in Cameroon.

Ticks are obligate blood-sucking parasites of wild animals and transmit many zoonotic microorganisms that can spread to domesticated animals and then to humans. In Cameroon, little is known about tick diversity among wildlife, especially for animals which are hunted for human consumption. Therefore, this survey was undertaken to investigate tick and species diversity parasitizing the wild animals sold in bush meat markets in Cameroon. In total, 686 ticks were collected and identified to the species level based on morphology, and some were genetically analyzed using the 16S rRNA gene. Eighteen tick species belonging to five genera were identified: spp. (, , and ), spp. (, , , and ), spp. (, , and ), spp. ( and ), and spp. (, , , , , and ). In terms of important for public health, two spp., namely and , were detected in spp. and spp., respectively. Distinct tick-pathogen patterns were present for divergent sequences of associated with exclusively vectors (type strain) versus vectors comprising , , and This suggests possible effects of vector species population dynamics on pathogen population circulation dynamics. Furthermore, Rickettsia africaustralis was detected for the first time in Cameroon in . This study highlights the high diversity of ticks among wildlife sold in bush meat markets in Cameroon.