An insight into the bacterial communities associated with ticks from Pakistan

Ticks are blood-feeding arthropods and capable of inoculating a variety of deadly infectious agents of public health significance to their vertebrate hosts. The aim of this study was to survey ticks and tick-associated infectious agents infesting ruminants from different ecological regions of Pakistan. Collected ticks (n≈547) were identified as Hyalomma, Rhipicephalus, Haemaphysalis, and Ornithodoros species. The prevalence of spotted fever group rickettsia (SFGR) was determined by amplifying the rickettsial outer membrane protein A gene (ompA) and the presence of Babesia/Theileria was examined using 18S rRNA gene specific primers in PCR assay. The nucleotide sequence similarity of the PCR products revealed infection of a variety of SFGR, Theileria, and Babesia species. The infection of Rickettsia amblyommii was further confirmed by ompB qPCR assay. The microbial diversity residing in identified ticks was determined by using 454-based metagenomic approach. Our results indicate that the rich tick species diversity infesting the ruminants in Pakistan. Microbiome associated with ticks from Pakistan will be presented in context of veterinary public health significance.