English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Background   Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato  ( s.l. ) is the most widely distributed ixodid tick and is a vector of major canine and human pathogens. High-throughput technologies have revealed that individual ticks carry a high diversity of pathogens, including bacteria, protozoa and viruses. Currently, it is accepted that co-infections (multiple pathogen species within an individual) are very common in ticks and influence pathogen acquisition and transmission as well as host infection risk. However, little is known on the impact of the genetic diversity of pathogens on the incidence of co-infections. Herein, we studied the frequency of co-infections in  R. sanguineus  ( s.l. ) and their association with the genetic diversity of  Ehrlichia canis .    Methods   Rhipicephalus sanguineus  ( s.l. ) female ticks ( n  = 235) were collected from healthy farm dogs in three districts of Pakistan. Microfluidic real-time PCR, a powerful nanotechnology for high-throughput molecular detection of pathogens, was used to test the presence of 25 bacterial and seven parasitic species in individual ticks. The genetic diversity of  E. canis  was evaluated by characterizing the  trp36  gene.    Results  A total of 204 ticks were infected with at least one pathogen and 109 co-infected with two (80%) or three (20%) pathogens.  Rickettsia massiliae  (human pathogen) and  E. canis  (zoonotic dog pathogen) were the most common pathogens co-infecting (30.4%) ticks. Furthermore, all identified co-infections included  R. massiliae  and/or  E. canis . Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) revealed that single infections did not show clear regional association whereas some co-infections were restricted to certain geographical regions. The sequence analysis of  trp36  in representative samples allowed the identification of three  E. canis  strains with low genetic diversity, and the strain found in Muzaffargarh district appeared to be more adapted to co-infection with  R. massiliae .    Conclusions   Rhipicephalus sanguineus  ( s.l. ) harbors multiple co-infections with human and dog pathogens of zoonotic potential. Findings of this study suggest that genetic diversity of  E. canis  may favor co-infections with different pathogens.

Low genetic diversity of Ehrlichia canis associated with high co-infection rates in Rhipicephalus sanguineus (s.l.)