Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) ticks associated with a Rickettsia sp. in Pakistan

Abstract

Background Soft ticks (Ixodida: Argasidae) are medically important ectoparasites that mainly feed on birds and mammals, which play a key role in their geographic distribution and dispersion. Despite their importance, studies on soft ticks are scarce for many regions and countries of the world, including Pakistan. Methods In this study, 2330 soft ticks—179 larvae (7.7%), 850 nymphs (36.4%), 711 males (30.5%) and 590 females (25.3%)—were collected from animal shelters in 18 locations within five districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A subset of the collected ticks was processed for DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the amplification of tick 12S ribosomal DNA (rDNA), 16S rDNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1), and rickettsial 16S rDNA gene fragments. The obtained sequences were used for the construction of a phylogenetic tree. Results All the specimens were morphologically identified as Ornithodoros, and were morphologically similar to Ornithodoros tholozani. The genus was confirmed by sequencing partial 12S rDNA, 16S rDNA and cox1 gene fragments. Additionally, a Rickettsia sp. was detected in some of the collected ticks by PCR targeting 16S rDNA. The morphological relatedness of the tick specimens with O. tholozani was confirmed by phylogenetic analysis, in which the Ornithodoros sp. clustered with Ornithodoros tholozani and Ornithodoros verrucosus, both of which belong to the subgenus Pavlovskyella and have been previously reported from Israel, Ukraine and Iran. The phylogenetic tree also indicated that the Ornithodoros sp. from Pakistan corresponds to an undetermined species. Furthermore, the associated Rickettsia sp. grouped with the limoniae group of Rickettsia species previously reported from Argas japonicus ticks from China. Conclusions This is the first molecular study of an Ornithodoros species from Pakistan. Further studies are essential to confirm its identity and possible pathogenicity with regard to its associated microorganisms in the studied region. Graphical abstract

Confirmation of the presence of Rickettsia felis infecting Ornithodoros puertoricensis in Mexico

“…The genus Ornithodoros (Ixodida: Argasidae) encompasses around 130 species worldwide, of which 24 have been recorded in Mexico (Ali et al, 2022; Guzmán‐Cornejo et al, 2019). Members of this genus are characterized by their nesting habits and intermittent hematophagous feeding.…”

Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Ticks and Molecular Survey of Anaplasma marginale, with Notes on Their Phylogeny

“…The distribution patterns of ticks will be highly affected within such a region [6] and may favor the transmission of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) [2,7]. However, there are few reports about tick distribution in different zones of Pakistan [2,3,[7][8][9][10][11][12]. These studies have described the abundance of Rhipicephalus, Hyalomma, and Haemaphysalis ticks infesting animals and humans in Pakistan.…”

“…javanense), Ixodes (I. hyatti and I. redikorzevi), Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) spp. (an undetermined species), and Nosomma (N. monstrosum) are rarely reported tick genera in the country [10,[12][13][14][15][16]. The commonly reported species of the genus Rhipicephalus are: R. haemaphysaloides, R. microplus, R. annulatus, R. turanicus, and R. sanguineus.…”

First genetic report of Ixodes kashmiricus and associated Rickettsia sp.

“…The climate and geography of Pakistan offer suitable conditions for the establishment of a variety of tick species, likely increasing the risk of transmission of tick-borne pathogens [3,[27][28][29]. The tick fauna of Pakistan includes species of the argasid genera Argas, Carios and Ornithodoros, the ixodid Metastriata genera Rhipicephalus, Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma, Amblyomma and Nosomma, and the ixodid Prostriata genus Ixodes [1,3,27,28,[30][31][32][33][34]. For the latter genus, only two species, Ixodes hyatti and Ixodes redikorzevi, have been identified in Pakistan, both based only on morphology [35][36][37].…”