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Julie M Old
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ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2754-7757
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Background Ticks are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites of vertebrate hosts and transmit the widest range of pathogenic organisms of any arthropod vector. Seven tick species are known to feed on bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus), in addition to the highly prevalent Sarcoptes scabiei mite which causes fatal sarcoptic mange in most bare-nosed wombat populations. Little is known about the pathogens carried by most wombat ticks or how they impact wombats affected by sarcoptic mange.
Methods Wombat ticks were sourced from wildlife hospitals and sanctuaries across Australia and identified to species level using taxonomic keys. Genomic DNA (gDNA) was extracted from a subsample, and following the amplification of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 hypervariable region, next generation sequencing (NGS) on the Illumina MiSeq platform was used to assess the microbial composition.
Results A total of 447 tick specimens were collected from 47 bare-nosed wombats between January 2019 and January 2020. Five species of ticks were identified comprising Bothriocroton auruginans (n = 420), Haemaphysalis bancrofti (n = 10), H. longicornis (n = 1), Ixodes tasmani (n = 12), and I. holocyclus (n = 4). Tick infestations ranged from 1 to 73 ticks per wombat. B. auruginans was the most prevalent tick species comprising 94% of the total number of samples and was present on 97.9% (46/47) of wombat hosts. NGS results revealed the 16S rRNA gene diversity profile was predominantly Proteobacteria (55.1%) followed by Firmicutes (21.9%) and Actinobacteria (18.4%). A species of Coxiella sharing closest sequence identity to C. burnetii (99.07%), was detected in 72% of B. auruginans and a Rickettsiella endosymbiont dominated the bacterial profile for I. tasmani.
Conclusions A new host record for H. longicornis is bare-nosed wombats. One adult male and two engorged adult female specimens were found on an adult male wombat from Coolagolite in NSW and more specimens should be collected to confirm this host record. The most prevalent tick found on bare-nosed wombats is B. auruginans confirming previous records. Analysis of alpha-diversity showed high variability across both sample locations and instars, similar to previous studies. The detection of various Proteobacteria in this study highlights the high bacterial diversity in native Australian ticks.
Keywords
wombat, tick, microbiome, pathogen, 16S, next generation sequencing, bacteria
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This is a preprint, a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Research
Julie M Old
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2754-7757
Badges
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Complete author information
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History
CURRENT STATUS: Posted
View the published article at Parasites & Vectors.
No community comments so far
Version 1
Posted 08 May, 2020
No comments provided
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Comments: 0
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Subject Areas
Parasitology
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published article at Parasites & Vectors.
Background Ticks are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites of vertebrate hosts and transmit the widest range of pathogenic organisms of any arthropod vector. Seven tick species are known to feed on bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus), in addition to the highly prevalent Sarcoptes scabiei mite which causes fatal sarcoptic mange in most bare-nosed wombat populations. Little is known about the pathogens carried by most wombat ticks or how they impact wombats affected by sarcoptic mange.
Methods Wombat ticks were sourced from wildlife hospitals and sanctuaries across Australia and identified to species level using taxonomic keys. Genomic DNA (gDNA) was extracted from a subsample, and following the amplification of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 hypervariable region, next generation sequencing (NGS) on the Illumina MiSeq platform was used to assess the microbial composition.
Results A total of 447 tick specimens were collected from 47 bare-nosed wombats between January 2019 and January 2020. Five species of ticks were identified comprising Bothriocroton auruginans (n = 420), Haemaphysalis bancrofti (n = 10), H. longicornis (n = 1), Ixodes tasmani (n = 12), and I. holocyclus (n = 4). Tick infestations ranged from 1 to 73 ticks per wombat. B. auruginans was the most prevalent tick species comprising 94% of the total number of samples and was present on 97.9% (46/47) of wombat hosts. NGS results revealed the 16S rRNA gene diversity profile was predominantly Proteobacteria (55.1%) followed by Firmicutes (21.9%) and Actinobacteria (18.4%). A species of Coxiella sharing closest sequence identity to C. burnetii (99.07%), was detected in 72% of B. auruginans and a Rickettsiella endosymbiont dominated the bacterial profile for I. tasmani.
Conclusions A new host record for H. longicornis is bare-nosed wombats. One adult male and two engorged adult female specimens were found on an adult male wombat from Coolagolite in NSW and more specimens should be collected to confirm this host record. The most prevalent tick found on bare-nosed wombats is B. auruginans confirming previous records. Analysis of alpha-diversity showed high variability across both sample locations and instars, similar to previous studies. The detection of various Proteobacteria in this study highlights the high bacterial diversity in native Australian ticks.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
This is a list of supplementary files associated with this preprint. Click to download.
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