Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) is a neglected zoonosis caused by Borrelia spp. and transmitted by soft ticks of the genus Ornithodoros. Although Mexico has a long history of human TBRF, the current distribution of relapsing fever borreliae and their associated vectors remains poorly understood, particularly in the Mexican Gulf Coast region. This study investigated the presence of tick-borne bacteria in ticks collected at a veterinary clinic in northern Veracruz, Mexico. A total of 164 Ornithodoros puertoricensis ticks were identified using morphological characteristics and 16 S mitochondrial ribosomal RNA sequencing. DNA extracts were screened by conventional PCR for Borrelia, Rickettsia, Bartonella, Coxiella, and Ehrlichia/Anaplasma, followed by DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of positive samples. Borrelia puertoricensis DNA was detected in six ticks (3.66
The aim of this study was to report new occurrence records of hard tick (Acari: Ixodidae) from the Bolivian-Peruvian Yungas ecoregion in Bolivia. Free-living ticks were collected at two sites of Suapi (La Paz department) and in Villa Independencia (Cochabamba department). Host-associated specimens were obtained from the avian collection of the Colección Boliviana de Fauna and from a puma (Puma concolor) captured in La Paz. A total of 34 ticks (three larvae, 27 nymphs, one male and three females) were collected. Of these, 32 were collected from vegetation: Amblyomma naponense (one male and one female) from Suapi 1, Ixodes pararicinus from Villa Independencia (one female) and Suapi (two larvae), and Amblyomma sp. cf. A. brasiliense (26 nymphs and one larva) from two sites of Suapi. Two nymphs of Amblyomma sp. cf. A. brasiliense were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays targeting the 16S rRNA and COI genes, whereas one larva was analyzed for 16S rRNA. Phylogenetic analyses recovered the Bolivian specimens as a distinct taxon closely related to A. brasiliense, suggested the possibility of an undescribed taxon. In addition, a nymph collected from Troglodytes musculus in Irupana was identified as Ixodes silvanus. Finally, one female of I. pararicinus was recorded parasitizing Puma concolor, representing the first reported association between this tick species and the host. These findings increase the known hard tick species richness in Bolivia through the first confirmed records of I. pararicinus and I. silvanus, Amblyomma sp. cf. A. brasiliense as potencial new taxon, and provide an additional locality record for A. naponense, providing information for future studies on tick ecology and potential risks of tick-borne pathogens.
The tomato red spider mite Tetranychus evansi is a major pest of Solanaceous crops and is increasingly difficult to control due to rapid development of resistance to acaricides. Entomopathogenic fungi such as Beauveria bassiana provide environmentally compatible alternatives, but their relatively slow action and variable efficacy limit field performance. This study investigated whether RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated disruption of key physiological pathways in T. evansi could enhance fungal pathogenicity. Spray bioassays revealed stage-specific susceptibility to B. bassiana strain HGS-1, with adult females being the most susceptible stage; however, mortality reached only 54
Argas persicus (the fowl tick) is native to Central Asia. In this study, a total of 671 soft ticks were collected from chickens in three sampling sites (Bakanas District, Almaty Oblast; Sayram District, Turkistan Oblast; Shymkent City), Kazakhstan. A total of 16 tick pools (10 ticks per pool) were used for 16 S rRNA gene-based microbiome profiling by sequencing the V3-V4 region. Subsequently, seven genetic markers were amplified for molecular detection of Anaplasma, Rickettsia and Coxiella. Alpha and beta diversity analyses revealed that A. persicus ticks in Bakanas District had the highest microbial richness and diversity, while the ticks in Shymkent City and Sayram District exhibited highly similar microbial community compositions. The microbiome was predominated by Proteobacteria, specifically the genera Rickettsia and Coxiella, especially in Sayram District and Shymkent City, and the relative abundance of the top 30 bacterial components differed among sampling sites. Three pathogens including unclassified Anaplasma sp., Rickettsia hoogstraalii and Coxiella burnetii were detected for the first time in A. persicus ticks in Kazakhstan. The unclassified Anaplasma sp. was prevalent in ticks associated with domestic poultry and migratory birds, while Rickettsia hoogstraalii tended to parasitize seabird-related ticks with high prevalence. In addition, Coxiella burnetii infection prevalence was higher in pastoral areas than in urban areas, and birds act as secondary transmission vectors. These findings reveal that tick-borne pathogens harbored by avian soft ticks deserve close attention, especially in Central Asia.
Ticks of the genus Rhipicephalus spp are major vectors of tick-borne pathogens in the semi-arid regions of Iran. However, molecular data regarding the genetic diversity and population structure of Rhipicephalus spp remain limited in the central regions of Iran. Therefore, the present study was performed to compare the genetic diversity and population structure of Rhipicephalus spp ticks from different areas of Semnan Province and worldwide. After morphologically identification of ticks as Rhipicephalus species, genomic DNA was extracted, and a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (Cox1) gene was amplified. Two species of ticks, R. bursa (55.5
