| Summary: | Ticks and associated tick-borne diseases in livestock remain a major threat to the health of animals and people worldwide. However, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), very few studies have been conducted on tick-borne microorganisms thus far. The purpose of this cross-sectional DNA-based study was to assess the presence and prevalence of tick-borne <i>Francisella</i> sp., <i>Rickett</i><i>sia</i> sp., and piroplasmids in ticks infesting livestock, and to estimate their infection rates. A total of 562 tick samples were collected from camels, cows, sheep, and goats in the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah from 24 locations. DNA was extracted from ticks and PCR was conducted. We found that <i>Hyalomma dromedarii</i> ticks collected from camels had <i>Francisella</i> sp. (5.81%) and SFG <i>Rickettsia</i> (1.36%), which was 99% similar to <i>Candidatus</i> Rickettsia andeanae and uncultured <i>Rickettsia</i> sp. In addition, <i>Hyalomma anatolicum</i> ticks collected from cows were found to be positive for <i>Theileria annulata</i> (4.55%), whereas <i>H. anatolicum</i> collected from goats were positive for <i>Theileria ovis</i> (10%). The widespread abundance of <i>Francisella</i> of unknown pathogenicity and the presence of <i>Rickettsia</i> are a matter of concern. The discovery of <i>T. ovis</i> from relatively few samples from goats indicates the overall need for more surveillance. Increasing sampling efforts over a wider geographical range within the UAE could reveal the true extent of tick-borne diseases in livestock. Moreover, achieving successful tick-borne disease control requires more research and targeted studies evaluating the pathogenicity and infection rates of many microbial species.
|
|---|
