Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus ticks as reservoir and vector of 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos' in China

Abstract

'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos' is an emerging pathogen in the genus Mycoplasma. The Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus tick has been suspected to be the vector of 'C. M. haemobos'. To determine the role of R. (B.) microplus in transmission of 'C. M. haemobos', we tested the competence of R. (B.) microplus larvae to acquire 'C. M. haemobos' from positive female ticks and to serve as a 'C. M. haemobos' vector in mice. Using PCR and sequencing, we also analyzed the epidemic strains of 'C. M. haemobos' among R. (B.) microplus ticks collected from goats and sheep in southern Henan Province, central China. Our results identified three epidemic strains of 'C. M. haemobos', and the positive female ticks naturally infected could pass 'C. M. haemobos' at egg and larval stages. Furthermore, 'C. M. haemobos' infected larvae could transmit the pathogens to mice during feeding, and the negative larvae could acquire 'C. M. haemobos' from infected mice. Our study shows that R. (B.) microplus ticks could serve as a vector and reservoir of 'C. M. haemobos'.

Keywords: China; Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus; Transmission; ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos’.