Investigation of the presence of Rickettsia and Borrelia in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) collected from wild mammals (Mammalia)

Ticks are vector parasites that carry many disease agents and are responsible for transmitting these disease agents to humans and animals. In this study, the presence of Rickettsia and Borrelia bacteria in ticks collected from wild mammals from different regions of Turkey was investigated by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, targeting approximately a 750 bp region of the citrate synthase (gltA) gene for Rickettsia, and 658 bp region of the flagellin B (flaB) gene for Borrelia bacteria. PCR products were run on a 1% agarose gel electrophoresis, and positive samples were identified. The positive PCR products were sequenced and compared with NCBI GenBank data. Results of present study were shown that Ixodes redikorzevi ticks collected from Apodemus flavicollis were infected with Borrelia afzelii and Rickettsia vini, Ixodes ricinus tick collected from Apodemus flavicollis was infected with Rickettsia monacensis; Ixodes redikorzevi ticks collected from Crocidura gueldenstaedtii were infected with Borrelia afzelii and Rickettsia vini, Ixodes ricinus tick collected from Crocidura gueldenstaedtii was infected with Rickettsia helvetica; Haemaphysalis parva tick collected from Nannospalax xanthodon was infected with Rickettsia hoogstraalii; Hyalomma aegyptium ticks collected from Erinaceus concolor were infected with Rickettsia aeschlimannii and Borrelia turcica; Ixodes trianguliceps tick collected from Apodemus sp. was infected with Rickettsia helvetica; Ixodes ricinus tick collected from Apodemus witherbyi was infected with Rickettsia monacensis, Hyalomma marginatum grup tick collected from Apodemus witherbyi was infected with Rickettsia conorii subsp. raoultii; Ixodes trianguliceps tick collected from Sorex volnuchini was infected with 'Candidatus Rickettsia uralica'; Ixodes ricinus tick collected from Clethrionomys glareolus was infected with Rickettsia monacensis. With this study, the presence of 'Candidatus Rickettsia uralica' in ticks of Türkiye of our country was detected for the first time. Key words: Wild mammals, Ticks, Acari, Ixodidae, Parasite