Investigation Of Rickettsiales Bacteria In Ticks From Xinjiang, China

Rickettsia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia bacteria of the order Rickettsiales can cause rickettsiosis, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis, respectively. Rickettsiales bacteria are found in ticks worldwide. However, far less is known about the circulation of rickettsiales bacteria in ticks in Xinjiang. In this study, rickettsiales bacteria in ticks from Bole and Tacheng regions in Xinjiang were investigated.1611H. asiaticum and15D. marginatus were collected in Bole, while236D. marginatus were collected in Tacheng. The rickettsiales bacteria were detected in these ticks by PCR. The three genes (16S rRNA, gltA, groEL) were recovered from the rickettsiales DNA positive samples and sequenced. Plylogenetic analyses of these gene sequences indicated the circulation of7species of rickettsiales in ticks from Xinjiang, These bacteria included Ehrlichia sp. Tibet, A. bovis, A. ovis, R. raoultii, R. slovaca, a candidate noval anaplasma species and a candidate noval ehrlichia species. Our data showed the high genetic diversity of rickettsiales bacteria in Xinjiang. The circulation of multi-rickettsiales spp. in the individual species of ticks indicates the non-specific relationship between rickettsiales bacteria and their tick vectors. In conclusion, several species of rickettsiales bacteria are present in ticks from Bole and Tacheng regions of Xinjiang, more active surveillance is needed for prevention of their emergence in humans.