Molecular Epidemiology of Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in the Ta-Pa Mountain Area of Chongqing, China
Lijun Wang,
Zhongqiu Teng,
Li Wan,
Wen Wang,
Shan Yuan,
Qingzhu Huang,
Juan Huang,
Na Zhao,
Meijia Wang,
Kun Cao,
Hai Huang,
Jianguo Xu,
Yi Yuan,
Tian Qin
Affiliations
Lijun Wang
Chengkou County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing 405900, China
Zhongqiu Teng
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Li Wan
Chengkou County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing 405900, China
Wen Wang
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Shan Yuan
Chengkou County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing 405900, China
Qingzhu Huang
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Juan Huang
Chengkou County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing 405900, China
Na Zhao
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Meijia Wang
Chengkou County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing 405900, China
Kun Cao
Chengkou County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing 405900, China
Hai Huang
Chengkou County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing 405900, China
Jianguo Xu
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Yi Yuan
Chengkou County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing 405900, China
Tian Qin
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
To validate the prevalence and biodiversity of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in Chongqing, a total of 601 ticks were collected from dogs, cattle, and goats within the Ta-pa Mountain range in Chongqing, China. Five distinct tick species were identified, including Ixodes ovatus (1.66%, 10/601), I. acutitarsus (0.50%, 3/601), Haemaphysalis flava (10.32%, 62/601), Ha. hystricis (9.82%, 59/601), and Ha. longicornis (77.70%, 467/601). A suit of semi-nest PCR and nest PCR primers were custom-synthesized for the detection of tick-borne pathogens. The analysis yielded positive results for 7.15% Rickettsia (Candidatus R. principis, R. japonica, and R. raoultii), 3.49% Anaplasma (A. bovis and A. capra), 1.16% Ehrlichia, 1.83% Coxiella burnetii, and 3.49% protozoa (Theileria. capreoli, T. orientalis, T. luwenshuni, and Babesia sp.) in ticks. Notably, Ca. R. principis was identified for the first time in I. ovatus and Ha. longicornis. These findings underscore the significant prevalence and diversity of ticks and their associated pathogens within the Chongqing Ta-pa Mountain region. This study accordingly provides an extensive dataset that contributes to the epidemiological understanding and disease prevention strategies for tick-borne illnesses in the local area.
