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. 2024 Jan 19;13(1):86.
doi: 10.3390/pathogens13010086.

Epidemiological Investigation of Tick-Borne Bacterial Pathogens in Domestic Animals from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Area, China

Yihong Ma  1 , Yingna Jian  2 , Geping Wang  2 , Iqra Zafar  1   3 , Xiuping Li  2 , Guanghua Wang  2 , Yong Hu  2 , Naoaki Yokoyama  1 , Liqing Ma  2 , Xuenan Xuan  1
Affiliations

Epidemiological Investigation of Tick-Borne Bacterial Pathogens in Domestic Animals from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Area, China

Yihong Ma et al. Pathogens. .

Abstract

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau area (QTPA) features a unique environment that has witnessed the selective breeding of diverse breeds of domestic livestock exhibiting remarkable adaptability. Nevertheless, Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., and Borrelia spp. represent tick-borne bacterial pathogens that pose a global threat and have substantial impacts on both human and animal health, as well as on the economy of animal husbandry within the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau area. In this study, a total of 428 samples were systematically collected from 20 distinct areas within the Qinghai Plateau. The samples included 62 ticks and 366 blood samples obtained from diverse animal species to detect the presence of Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., and Borrelia spp. The prevalence of infection in this study was determined as follows: Anaplasma bovis accounted for 16.4% (70/428), A. capra for 4.7% (20/428), A. ovis for 5.8% (25/428), Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato for 6.3% (27/428), Coxiella burnetii for 0.7% (3/428), and Rickettsia spp. for 0.5% (2/428). Notably, no cases of A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum infections were observed in this study. The findings revealed an elevated presence of these pathogens in Tibetan sheep and goats, with no infections detected in yaks, Bactrian camels, donkeys, and horses. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first investigation of tick-borne bacterial pathogens infecting goats, cattle, horses, and donkeys within the Qinghai Plateau of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau area. Consequently, our findings contribute valuable insights into the distribution and genetic diversity of Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., and Borrelia spp. within China.

Keywords: Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau area; livestock; tick-borne bacterial pathogens.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A map of the Qinghai Plateau highlighting the various sampling sites and animals included. The figure was created and adjusted using map data in Excel.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Morphological identification of ticks in QTPA. (a) H. qinghaiensis detected in QTPA; (b) D. nuttalli from QTPA in this study.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Phylogenetic tree of ticks using the Maximum Likelihood method. The numbers indicated at the nodes represent the percentage of occurrence of clades based on 1000 bootstrap replications of the data. The sequences of isolates obtained in this study, along with their corresponding accession numbers, are highlighted in red.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Phylogenetic trees of Anaplasma spp. constructed using the Maximum Likelihood method in MEGA X, employing the Kimura 2-parameter model. (a) The phylogenetic tree of A. bovis based on 16s rRNA gene. (b) The phylogenetic tree of A. capra based on gltA genes. (c) The phylogenetic of A. ovis based on msp4 gene. The numbers assigned to the nodes represent the percentage of occurrence of clades, determined through 1000 bootstrap replications of the data. Isolates from this study, along with their corresponding accession numbers, are highlighted in red.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The phylogenetic tree of B. burgdorferi s.l., based on 16s rRNA partial sequences obtained from Tibetan sheep and goats in this study, as well as sequences retrieved from the GenBank database, was constructed using the Maximum Likelihood method in MEGA X and Kimura 2-parameter model. The numbers assigned to the nodes indicate the percentage of occurrence of clades, determined through 1000 bootstrap replications of the data. Isolates from this study, along with their corresponding accession numbers, are highlighted in red.
Figure 6
Figure 6
The phylogenetic tree of Rickettsia spp., constructed using the Maximum Likelihood method in MEGA X and employing the Tamura 3-parameter model, includes numbers assigned to the nodes representing the percentage of occurrence of clades and was determined through 1000 bootstrap replications of the data. Isolates from this study, along with their corresponding accession numbers, are highlighted in red.
Figure 7
Figure 7
The phylogenetic tree of C. burnetii, constructed using the Maximum Likelihood method in MEGA X and employing the Kimura 2-parameter model, includes numbers assigned to the nodes representing the percentage of occurrence of clades and was determined through 1000 bootstrap replications of the data. Isolates from this study, along with their corresponding accession numbers, are highlighted in red.
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