Wang Bingjie, Liu Zhiqiang, Zhu Shiying, Zhang Jinchao, Qi Wenwen, Wang Jianyu, Li Dongfang, He Lan, Zhao Junlong
National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
Parasit Vectors. 2025 Jun 4;18(1):207. doi: 10.1186/s13071-025-06857-1.
Ticks are a type of hematophagous parasite, serving as critical vectors of pathogens that cause numerous human and animal diseases. Climate change has driven the geographical expansion of tick populations and increased the global transmission risk of tick-borne diseases. However, there has been a lack of comprehensive data on tick species distribution and their associated pathogen profiles in Xinjiang, China.
Ticks were collected from 19 sampling sites across nine regions in Xinjiang. The species were identified using both morphological and molecular biological methods. The presence of tick-borne bacterial and protozoan pathogens was detected through polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Finally, sequencing and phylogenetic analyses were performed to further characterize the identified ticks and pathogens.
A total of 1093 ticks were collected and identified, representing four genera and nine species, with Hyalomma asiaticum being the dominant species. Haplotype diversity and genetic differentiation analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene of the dominant species demonstrated that the Hy. asiaticum population in Xinjiang exhibits high haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.734), low nucleotide diversity (π = 0.00403), and significant genetic differentiation (Fst = 0.19716). Pathogen detection using PCR revealed an infection rate of 9.3% for Anaplasma, 18.1% for Rickettsia, and 9.0% for piroplasms. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA sequences indicated that the Anaplasma genus identified in ticks comprised Anaplasma ovis, Anaplasma sp., and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Phylogenetic analysis based on the opmA gene showed that the Rickettsia genus identified in ticks included Rickettsia aeschlimannii, Rickettsia conorii, Rickettsia slovaca, Rickettsia conorii subsp. raoultii, Rickettsia sp., Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae, and Candidatus Rickettsia jingxinensis. Similarly, phylogenetic analysis based on the 18S rRNA gene demonstrated that the piroplasms identified in ticks included Theileria annulata, Theileria ovis, Babesia bigemina, Babesia occultans, and Babesia sp. All gene sequences of the detected pathogens showed 99.8-100% identity with corresponding sequences deposited in GenBank.
This study demonstrates that Xinjiang harbors a rich diversity of tick species with a wide geographical distribution. Furthermore, the tick-borne pathogens in this region are complex and diverse. These results underscore the necessity of sustained and enhanced surveillance efforts targeting ticks and tick-borne diseases in this region.
蜱是一种吸血寄生虫，是导致众多人类和动物疾病的病原体的重要传播媒介。气候变化推动了蜱虫种群的地理扩张，并增加了蜱传疾病的全球传播风险。然而，中国新疆缺乏关于蜱种分布及其相关病原体概况的全面数据。
从新疆九个地区的19个采样点采集蜱虫。使用形态学和分子生物学方法对蜱种进行鉴定。通过聚合酶链反应（PCR）检测蜱传细菌和原生动物病原体的存在。最后，进行测序和系统发育分析，以进一步表征鉴定出的蜱虫和病原体。
共采集并鉴定出1093只蜱虫，分属4个属9个种，其中亚洲璃眼蜱为优势种。基于优势种16S rRNA基因的单倍型多样性和遗传分化分析表明，新疆的亚洲璃眼蜱种群表现出高单倍型多样性（Hd = 0.734）、低核苷酸多样性（π = 0.00403）和显著的遗传分化（Fst = 0.19716）。PCR病原体检测显示，无形体感染率为9.3%，立克次体感染率为18.1%，梨形虫感染率为9.0%。基于16S rRNA序列的系统发育分析表明，蜱中鉴定出的无形体属包括绵羊无形体、无形体属和嗜吞噬细胞无形体。基于opmA基因的系统发育分析表明，蜱中鉴定出的立克次体属包括埃氏立克次体、康氏立克次体、斯洛伐克立克次体、康氏立克次体拉乌尔蒂亚种、立克次体属、假巴巴里立克次体和假景新立克次体。同样，基于18S rRNA基因的系统发育分析表明，蜱中鉴定出的梨形虫包括环形泰勒虫、绵羊泰勒虫、双芽巴贝斯虫、隐匿巴贝斯虫和巴贝斯虫属。检测到的病原体的所有基因序列与GenBank中 deposited的相应序列显示出99.8 - 100%的同一性。
本研究表明，新疆蜱种丰富，地理分布广泛。此外，该地区的蜱传病原体复杂多样。这些结果强调了在该地区持续加强针对蜱虫和蜱传疾病监测工作的必要性。
