Molecular Evidence of Theileria and Anaplasma Species in Hyalomma marginatum Ticks Infesting Goats in Qinghai, China.
4 affiliations
- 1Academy of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Science, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China.
- 2Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Pathogen Diagnosis and Green Prevention and Control Technology of Qinghai Province, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China.
- 3Qinghai Provincial Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center, Xining 810001, China.
- 4Department of Animal Science, Qinghai Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College, Xining 812100, China.
Abstract
Ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropods and important vectors of various pathogens. This study identified tick species parasitizing goats in Guide County, Qinghai Province, China, and screened for Theileria and Anaplasma species. Tick specimens were identified via morphological observation and molecular analysis of 16S rRNA and cox1 gene sequences. Pathogen detection was performed using PCR targeting the 18S rRNA gene of Theileria and the groEL gene of Anaplasma, followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Morphological and molecular data consistently identified all 80 engorged tick samples collected from goats on a single farm as Hyalomma marginatum, with 97.7-99.7% sequence similarity to reference sequences. Among the 80 tick samples, the DNA detection rate for Theileria ovis was 5.0% (4/80), 17.5% for Theileria luwenshuni (14/80), and 6.3% for Anaplasma ovis (5/80). In this study, H. marginatum was identified in Guide County, Qinghai Province, thereby enriching the current knowledge of tick species distribution in this region. Furthermore, the PCR detection of T. ovis, T. luwenshuni, and A. ovis DNA in H. marginatum provides fundamental molecular surveillance data for tick-borne pathogen monitoring in this region; however, because all examined ticks were engorged, the detected DNA may have originated from the residual host blood meal, and these findings do not demonstrate infection of the ticks or vector competence.
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BibTeX
@article{yang2026molecular,
title = {{Molecular Evidence of Theileria and Anaplasma Species in Hyalomma marginatum Ticks Infesting Goats in Qinghai, China.}},
author = {Peiyao Yang and Lamu Aan and Chengcai Wang and Yi Yang and Zili Dime and Xuepeng Liang and Zhi Li and Dan Jia and Xueyong Zhang and Xiuying Shen and Yong Fu and Yijuan Fu and Jie Wang and Hong Duo},
journal = {Veterinary sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/vetsci13101078},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42944173},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Molecular Evidence of Theileria and Anaplasma Species in Hyalomma marginatum Ticks Infesting Goats in Qinghai, China.
AU - Peiyao Yang
AU - Lamu Aan
AU - Chengcai Wang
AU - Yi Yang
AU - Zili Dime
AU - Xuepeng Liang
AU - Zhi Li
AU - Dan Jia
AU - Xueyong Zhang
AU - Xiuying Shen
AU - Yong Fu
AU - Yijuan Fu
AU - Jie Wang
AU - Hong Duo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/12
JO - Veterinary sciences
DO - 10.3390/vetsci13101078
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42944173
AB - Ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropods and important vectors of various pathogens. This study identified tick species parasitizing goats in Guide County, Qinghai Province, China, and screened for Theileria and Anaplasma species. Tick specimens were identified via morphological observation and molecular analysis of 16S rRNA and cox1 gene sequences. Pathogen detection was performed using PCR targeting the 18S rRNA gene of Theileria and the groEL gene of Anaplasma, followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Morphological and molecular data consistently identified all 80 engorged tick samples collected from goats on a single farm as Hyalomma marginatum, with 97.7-99.7% sequence similarity to reference sequences. Among the 80 tick samples, the DNA detection rate for Theileria ovis was 5.0% (4/80), 17.5% for Theileria luwenshuni (14/80), and 6.3% for Anaplasma ovis (5/80). In this study, H. marginatum was identified in Guide County, Qinghai Province, thereby enriching the current knowledge of tick species distribution in this region. Furthermore, the PCR detection of T. ovis, T. luwenshuni, and A. ovis DNA in H. marginatum provides fundamental molecular surveillance data for tick-borne pathogen monitoring in this region; however, because all examined ticks were engorged, the detected DNA may have originated from the residual host blood meal, and these findings do not demonstrate infection of the ticks or vector competence.
SN - 2306-7381
ER -