Chen Qiang, Li Zengkui, Kang Ming, Hu Guangwei, Cai Jinshan, Li Jing, Han Xiaoling, Chen Changjiang, He Shunfu, Hu Xiaoyu, He Yongcai, Li Zhongyu, Chen Jiyong, Geng Pengcheng, Jiang Shuo, Ma Jinghua, Zhang Xiao, Tai Ximei, Li Ying
Qinghai University State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Xining, 810016, Qinghai, China.
Qinghai Yak Breeding and Promotion Service Center, Datong, 810100, Qinghai, China.
Heliyon. 2024 Nov 13;10(23):e40205. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40205. eCollection 2024 Dec 15.
The Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve (QLNNR), renowned for its abundant natural resources and diverse ecological habitats, serves as an ideal environment for ticks, thereby increasing the risk of various tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) transmission. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of TBPs in ticks collected from Przewalski's gazelle and Tibetan sheep within the QLNNR. A total of 313 tick samples were collected from the vicinity of Qinghai Lake. Tick species identification was conducted using both morphological and molecular biology techniques. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was performed to detect the presence of spotted fever group (SFG) , , , , spp, , spp, and was performed using specific primers. Positive samples were sequenced and analyzed using BLASTn, followed by phylogenetic tree construction. The ticks collected from the Qinghai Lake area were identified as . The overall prevalence rates of ticks carrying SFG and were 42.8 % (134/313) and 4.8 % (15/313), respectively. Three SFG species were detected, including 33.9 % (106/313), 3.8 % (12/113) and 7.7 % (24/113), with being the predominant species. The prevalence rates of SFG and in ticks from Tibetan sheep was 44.7 % (115/257) and 4.7 % (12/257), respectively,and in ticks from Przewalski's gazelle were 33.9 % (19/56) and 5.4 % (3/56). Furthermore, the study revealed a positive linear relationship between the abundance of Przewalski's gazelle and the number of ticks, as well as the prevalence of TBPs. The current study has identified as the predominant tick vector species within the QLNNR region. The detection of SFG and has augmented our understanding of the epidemiological profile of ticks and TBPs in this area, thereby providing a robust theoretical foundation for the implementation of effective prevention and control strategies against TBPs.
青海湖国家级自然保护区（QLNNR）以其丰富的自然资源和多样的生态栖息地而闻名，是蜱虫的理想生存环境，从而增加了各种蜱传病原体（TBPs）传播的风险。本研究旨在调查从QLNNR内的普氏原羚和藏羊身上采集的蜱虫中TBPs的流行情况。共从青海湖附近采集了313份蜱虫样本。使用形态学和分子生物学技术进行蜱种鉴定。进行聚合酶链反应（PCR）扩增以检测斑点热群（SFG）、、、、 spp、、 spp的存在，并使用特异性引物进行。对阳性样本进行测序并使用BLASTn分析，随后构建系统发育树。从青海湖地区采集的蜱虫被鉴定为。携带SFG和的蜱虫总体流行率分别为42.8%（134/313）和4.8%（15/313）。检测到三种SFG物种，包括33.9%（106/313）、3.8%（12/113）和7.7%（24/113），其中为优势种。藏羊蜱虫中SFG和的流行率分别为44.7%（115/257）和4.7%（12/257），普氏原羚蜱虫中分别为33.9%（19/56）和5.4%（3/56）。此外，研究还揭示了普氏原羚的数量与蜱虫数量以及TBPs流行率之间存在正线性关系。当前研究已确定为QLNNR区域内的主要蜱传媒介物种。SFG和的检测加深了我们对该地区蜱虫和TBPs流行病学特征的理解，从而为实施有效的TBPs防控策略提供了坚实的理论基础。
