<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec id="j_jvetres-2023-0016_s_005"><h3>Introduction</h3>
<p>Ticks are blood-sucking arthropods that have negative economic impacts and can spread a variety of diseases through their bites. There are few reports on soft ticks (Acari: Argasidae) and tick-borne pathogens in southern Xinjiang, China. This investigation supplements the available information for this region and is concerned with an argasid tick, apicomplexan parasites of the <italic>Babesia</italic> and <italic>Theileria</italic> genera and a bacterium of the <italic>Anaplasma</italic> genus.</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2023-0016_s_006"><h3>Material and Methods</h3>
<p>In this study, 330 soft ticks were collected from nine sampling sites in southern Xinjiang between 2020 and 2021. The ticks were identified according to their morphological characteristics and confirmed as <italic>Ornithodoros lahorensis</italic> using mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequences. <italic>Babesia</italic> and <italic>Theileria</italic> were identified at the species level based on two fragments of the 18S rRNA gene, and one set of primers targeting the 16S rRNA gene was used to identify the <italic>Anaplasma</italic> genus.</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2023-0016_s_007"><h3>Results</h3>
<p>Among the 330 samples, one <italic>Babesia</italic> species (<italic>Babesia</italic> sp.), two <italic>Theileria</italic> species (<italic>T. ovis</italic> and <italic>T. annulata</italic>), and one <italic>Anaplasma</italic> (<italic>A. ovis</italic>) species were detected.</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2023-0016_s_008"><h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>This study provides fundamental evidence for the occurrence of <italic>Babesia</italic>, <italic>Theileria</italic> and <italic>Anaplasma</italic> spp. in soft ticks. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the detection of <italic>Babesia</italic> sp. and <italic>T. annulata</italic> in <italic>O. lahorensis</italic>. Therefore, the potential threat of soft ticks to livestock and humans should not be ignored.</p>
</sec>

</abstract>

Introduction
Ticks are blood-sucking arthropods that have negative economic impacts and can spread a variety of diseases through their bites. There are few reports on soft ticks (Acari: Argasidae) and tick-borne pathogens in southern Xinjiang, China. This investigation supplements the available information for this region and is concerned with an argasid tick, apicomplexan parasites of the Babesia and Theileria genera and a bacterium of the Anaplasma genus.

Material and Methods
In this study, 330 soft ticks were collected from nine sampling sites in southern Xinjiang between 2020 and 2021. The ticks were identified according to their morphological characteristics and confirmed as Ornithodoros lahorensis using mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequences. Babesia and Theileria were identified at the species level based on two fragments of the 18S rRNA gene, and one set of primers targeting the 16S rRNA gene was used to identify the Anaplasma genus.

Results
Among the 330 samples, one Babesia species (Babesia sp.), two Theileria species (T. ovis and T. annulata), and one Anaplasma (A. ovis) species were detected.

Conclusion
This study provides fundamental evidence for the occurrence of Babesia, Theileria and Anaplasma spp. in soft ticks. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the detection of Babesia sp. and T. annulata in O. lahorensis. Therefore, the potential threat of soft ticks to livestock and humans should not be ignored.

Detection of <italic>Babesia</italic> spp., <italic>Theileria</italic> spp., and <italic>Anaplasma ovis</italic> in <italic>Ornithodoros lahorensis</italic> from southern Xinjiang, China

Journal of Veterinary Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Detection of  spp.,  spp., and  in  from southern Xinjiang, China

Introduction
Ticks are blood-sucking arthropods that have negative economic impacts and can spread a variety of diseases through their bites. There are few...

Detection of Babesia spp., Theileria spp., and Anaplasma ovis in Ornithodoros lahorensis from southern Xinjiang, China

Published Online: Mar 28, 2023

Page range: 79 - 85

Received: Sep 20, 2022

Accepted: Mar 06, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2023-0016

Keywords
southern Xinjiang,

© 2023 S. Li et al. published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Detection of Babesia spp., Theileria spp., and Anaplasma ovis in Ornithodoros lahorensis from southern Xinjiang, China

Published Online: Mar 28, 2023

Page range: 79 - 85

Received: Sep 20, 2022

Accepted: Mar 06, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2023-0016

Keywordssouthern Xinjiang,

© 2023 S. Li et al. published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
southern Xinjiang,