Molecular evidence of tick-borne pathogens in Hyalomma anatolicum ticks infesting cattle in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Northwestern China

Although tick-borne pathogens have been widely reported in ticks in China, there is little information available on the prevalence of information in Hyalomma ticks from cattle. This study aims to determine the occurrence of pathogens in Hyalomma anatolicum collected from cattle in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, by PCR, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Borrelia burgdorferi s.s., Rickettsia massiliae and Anaplasma bovis were identified, whereas DNA of Ehrlichia species and an Anaplasma platys-like pathogen were also detected. Our findings highlight the risk of infection of animals and humans with these pathogens in north-western China.