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Ali A, Khan M, Numan M, Alouffi A, Almutairi MM, Pienaar R, de Castro MH, Chitimia-Dobler L, Muñoz-Leal S, Mans BJ. Description of a new Ornithodoros ( Pavlovskyella) (Ixodida: Argasidae) tick species from Pakistan. Parasitology 2024:1-14. [PMID: 39355937 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182024000982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2024]
Abstract
The genus Ornithodoros is notably diverse within the family Argasidae, comprising approximately 134 species distributed among 4 subgenera, 1 of which is the subgenus Pavlovskyella. In an earlier study, we identified distinct soft ticks as Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) sp., which were collected from animal shelters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Providing additional collections from that same locality and a comprehensive analysis involving detailed morphological and mitogenome-based comparisons with closely related species, this study formally designates a novel species for these specimens. Adults and late-instar nymphs of the new species display a dorsoventral groove, small cheeks not covering the capitulum, 5 small even humps on tarsus I and a transverse postanal groove intersecting the median postanal groove perpendicularly. It also lacks a tuft of setae on the ventral surface of the hood which separates the novel species from Ornithodoros papillipes. Ventral chaetotaxy of tarsus IV indicates 4–7 setal pairs in nymphs and 5–7 pairs in adults that separate the new species from Ornithodoros tholozani sensu stricto and Ornithodoros crossi, 2 morphologically closely related species that occur in geographical proximity. Phylogenetic analyses of the full-length mitochondrial genome and the 18S and 28S ribosomal RNA genes, combined with pairwise nucleotide comparisons of cox1, cox2, atp8, atp6, cox3, nad3, nad5, nad4, nad4L, nad6, cytb, nad1, nad2, 12S rDNA, 16S rDNA, 18S rDNA and 28S rDNA further support that the new species belongs to the Pavlovskyella subgenus, clustering with O. tholozani, Ornithodoros verrucosus and Ornithodoros tartakovskyi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Mehran Khan
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Numan
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Abdulaziz Alouffi
- Infectious diseases, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh 12354, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mashal M Almutairi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ronel Pienaar
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
| | - Minique H de Castro
- The Biotechnology Platform, Agricultural Research Council-Biotechnology Platform, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
| | - Lidia Chitimia-Dobler
- Infection and Pandemic Research, Fraunhofer Institute of Immunology, Penzberg, Germany
- Experimental Parasitology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, LMU, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastián Muñoz-Leal
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Ñuble, Chile
| | - Ben J Mans
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Private Bag X6, Roodepoort, Florida 1710, South Africa
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Khan M, Khan M, Khan M, Batool S, Tanaka T, Aloufi A, Almutairi MM, Ali A. Babesia bigemina and Theileria annulata infections in cattle: molecular detection, phylogenetic analysis, and assessment of risk factors. Trop Anim Health Prod 2024; 56:282. [PMID: 39322769 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-024-04122-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 09/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/27/2024]
Abstract
Babesia bigemina and Theileria annulata are tick-borne protozoans that cause piroplasmosis in cattle, resulting in huge damages to the livestock industry. The prevalence of these infections depends on various intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors. In Pakistan, there is no information regarding the molecular characterization of Babesia bigemina and the risk factors associated with piroplasmosis. This study aimed to molecularly characterize Babesia spp. and Theileria spp. infecting various cattle breeds in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, and to shed light on risk factors associated with these infections. Altogether, 219 blood samples were collected from various symptomatic cattle breeds, including Holstein Friesian (65.3%; 143/219), Jersey (21.5%; 47/219) and Sahiwal (13.2%; 29/219). Isolated genomic DNA from these blood samples was used in PCR for the amplification of the 18S rRNA fragment of apicomplexan parasites. Obtained 18S rDNA sequences from cattle hosts showed 99.5% identity with B. bigemina, or 100% with T. annulata. Having an overall infection rate of 61.6% (135/219), the highest infection rate was recorded for T. annulata (43.8%; 95/219), followed by B. bigemina (18.3%; 40/219). Phylogenetic analysis of 18S rDNA sequences revealed that B. bigemina clustered with corresponding species reported from Bolivia, and South Africa, while T. annulata grouped with same species from Italy, India, and Turkey. Among the different risk factors, the breed, season, and tick infestation were found to have a significant (P < 0.05) association with the piroplasmid infections. The information obtained in this study can be employed for effective surveillance and control of babesiosis and theileriosis in Pakistan. In addition to confirming our previous molecular detection of T. annulata in cattle, this study provides the first molecular surveillance and phylogenetic position of B. bigemina and associated risk factors in the study region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majid Khan
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Mehran Khan
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Momin Khan
- Department of Chemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Sidra Batool
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Tetsuya Tanaka
- Laboratory of Animal Microbiology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science/Faculty of Agriculture, Tohoku University, 468-1 Aramaki Aza Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8572, Japan
| | - Abdulaziz Aloufi
- King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mashal M Almutairi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Abid Ali
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan.
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Mohanta UK, Abdullah SM, Al-Wasef, Chikufenji B, Ma Z, Li H, El-Sayed SAES, Amer MM, Do TT, Islam S, Nath TC, Li Y, Umemiya-Shirafuji R, Guo Q, Xuan X. First molecular survey of tick-borne protozoan and bacterial pathogens in the questing tick population in Bangladesh. Acta Trop 2024; 256:107244. [PMID: 38762942 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Questing ticks carry various tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) that are responsible for causing tick-borne diseases (TBDs) in humans and animals around the globe, especially in the tropics and sub-tropics. Information on the distribution of ticks and TBPs in a specific geography is crucial for the formulation of mitigation measures against TBDs. Therefore, this study aimed to survey the TBPs in the questing tick population in Bangladesh. A total of 2748 questing hard ticks were collected from the pastures in Sylhet, Bandarban, Sirajganj, Dhaka, and Mymensingh districts through the flagging method. After morphological identification, the ticks were grouped into 142 pools based on their species, sexes, life stages, and collection sites. The genomic DNA extracted from tick specimens was screened for 14 pathogens, namely Babesia bigemina (AMA-1), Babesia bovis (RAP-1), Babesia naoakii (AMA-1), Babesia ovis (18S rRNA), Theileria luwenshuni (18S rRNA), Theileria annulata (Tams-1), Theileria orientalis (MPSP), Anaplasma marginale (groEL), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (16S rRNA), Anaplasma bovis (16S rRNA), Anaplasma platys (16S rRNA), Ehrlichia spp. (16S rRNA), Rickettsia spp. (gltA), and Borrelia (Bo.) spp. (flagellin B) using genus and species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. The prevalence of the detected pathogens was calculated using the maximum likelihood method (MLE) with 95 % confidence interval (CI). Among 2748 ixodid ticks, 2332 (84.86 %) and 416 (15.14 %) were identified as Haemaphysalis bispinosa and Rhipicephalus microplus, respectively. Haemaphysalis bispinosa was found to carry all the seven detected pathogens, while larvae of R. microplus were found to carry only Bo. theileri. Among the TBPs, the highest detection rate was observed in A. bovis (20/142 pools, 0.81 %, CI: 0.51-1.20), followed by T. orientalis (19/142 pools, 0.72 %, CI: 0.44-1.09), T. luwenshuni (9/142 pools, 0.34 %, CI: 0.16-0.62), B. ovis (4/142 pools, 0.15 %, CI: 0.05 - 0.34) and Bo. theileri (4/142 pools, 0.15 %, CI: 0.05-0.34), Ehrlichia ewingii (3/142 pools, 0.11 %, CI: 0.03-0.29), and Babesia bigemina (1/142, 0.04 %, CI: 0.00 - 0.16). This study reports the existence of T. luwenshuni, E. ewingii, and Bo. theileri in Bangladesh for the first time. The novel findings of this study are the foremost documentation of transovarian transmission of B. bigemina and E. ewingii in H. bispinosa and also provide primary molecular evidence on the presence of E. ewingii and Bo. theileri in H. bispinosa. Therefore, this study may shed light on the circulating TBPs in ticks in the natural environment and thereby advocate awareness among physicians and veterinarians to control and prevent TBDs in Bangladesh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uday Kumar Mohanta
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080‒8555, Hokkaido, Japan; Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Sher‒e‒Bangla Agricultural University, Sher‒e‒Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, 1207, Bangladesh
| | - S M Abdullah
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Sher‒e‒Bangla Agricultural University, Sher‒e‒Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, 1207, Bangladesh
| | - Al-Wasef
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Sher‒e‒Bangla Agricultural University, Sher‒e‒Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, 1207, Bangladesh
| | - Boniface Chikufenji
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080‒8555, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Zhuowei Ma
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080‒8555, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Hang Li
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080‒8555, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Shimaa Abd El-Salam El-Sayed
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080‒8555, Hokkaido, Japan; Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry of Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Moaz M Amer
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080‒8555, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Thanh Thom Do
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080‒8555, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Saiful Islam
- Department of Parasitology, Sylhet Agricultural University, Tilagor, Sylhet, 3100, Bangladesh
| | - Tilak Chandra Nath
- Department of Parasitology, Sylhet Agricultural University, Tilagor, Sylhet, 3100, Bangladesh
| | - Yongchang Li
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080‒8555, Hokkaido, Japan; Laboratory of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, PR China
| | - Rika Umemiya-Shirafuji
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080‒8555, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Qingyong Guo
- Laboratory of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, PR China
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080‒8555, Hokkaido, Japan.
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Mongruel ACB, Medici EP, da Costa Canena A, Machado RZ, Clay K, Labruna MB, André MR. First molecular detection of Borrelia sp. in tapirs (Tapirus terrestris). Vet Res Commun 2024; 48:2767-2774. [PMID: 38713407 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-024-10406-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Borrelia theileri is a tick-borne spirochete causative agent of fever, apathy and reduced food consumption in cattle. Molecular diagnosis has expanded the understanding of Borrelia theileri with new hosts and geographical locations being described. The present study aimed to describe the first molecular detection of B. theileri in wild tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) from South America. Blood DNA samples obtained from 99 tapirs sampled in Pantanal (n = 61) and Cerrado (n = 38) biomes were screened using a qPCR assay based on the 16 S rRNA gene of Borrelia sp. Positive samples in the qPCR assay were subjected to PCR assays to allow characterization of fragments from 16 S rRNA and flaB genes. Two (2/99; 2.0%) animals from Pantanal biome were positive in the qPCR and one sample presented bands of expected size for the flaB protocol. Amplicons from this sample were successfully cloned and sequenced. In the phylogenetic analysis, Borrelia sp. from T. terrestris grouped together with B. theileri sequences previously detected in Rhipicephalus microplus ticks and cattle from Minas Gerais State in Brazil, Rhipicephalus geigyi from Mali, and R. microplus and Haemaphysalis sulcata from Pakistan. This finding contributes to our knowledge regarding susceptible hosts species for B. theileri. More studies are necessary to understand the potential effects of B. theileri on tapir's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Claudia Baumel Mongruel
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV), Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP) - Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Emília Patrícia Medici
- Iniciativa Nacional para Conservação da Anta Brasileira (INCAB), Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (IPÊ) , Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
- Escola Superior de Conservação Ambiental e Sustentabilidade (ESCAS/IPÊ) - Nazaré Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil
- Tapir Specialist Group (TSG), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN SSC), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Ariel da Costa Canena
- Iniciativa Nacional para Conservação da Anta Brasileira (INCAB), Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (IPÊ) , Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV), Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP) - Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Keith Clay
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Sciences and Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Marcelo Bahia Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal (VPS), Faculdade de Ciências Veterinárias e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Vector-Borne Bioagents Laboratory (VBBL), Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV), Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP) - Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Ali A, Khan M, Alouffi A, Almutairi MM, Paguem A, Chitimia-Dobler L, Pienaar R, de Castro MH, Mans BJ. Description of a new tick species, closely related to Amblyomma javanense (Supino, 1897), associated with Varanus bengalensis (Squamata: Varanidae) in Pakistan. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102361. [PMID: 38880004 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
The genus Amblyomma contains the highest percentage of reptile-associated ticks, and comprises approximately nine subgenera. One of these subgenera is Adenopleura, which also encompasses Amblyomma javanense, and its type species Amblyomma compressum. This study describes a new Amblyomma species associated with Bengal monitor lizards (Varanus bengalensis) based on morphology and its mitogenome in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Reptiles belonging to different genera were examined for Amblyomma ticks and only the monitor lizard was infested with ticks in the District Bajaur. Collected Amblyomma cf. javanense ticks were analyzed and formally described as a new species. Overall, 57 A. cf. javanense ticks were collected on monitor lizards (4/27) with a 15% prevalence of infestation, 2.1 mean abundance, and 14.3 mean intensity. Ticks comprised males (n = 23, 40%), females (n = 14, 25%) and nymphs (n = 20, 35%), while no larvae were found. BLAST analysis of A. cf. javanense sequences showed the following maximum identities; 98.25% with undetermined Amblyomma species based on 12S rRNA, 96.07% with A. javanense based on 16S rRNA, 99.56% and 90.95% with an Amblyomma sp. and A. javanense, respectively, based on ITS2. Moreover, the mitochondrial genome of A. cf. javanense showed maximum identities of 80.75%, 80.48% and 79.42% with Amblyomma testudinarium, A. javanense, and Amblyomma sp., respectively. The phylogenetic analysis of A. cf. javanense revealed that its 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA are closely related to an Amblyomma sp. and A. javanense, respectively, from Sri Lanka, its ITS2 is closely related to A. javanense from China and an Amblyomma sp. from Sri Lanka, and its mitogenome is closely related to A. javanense and Amblyomma sp. from China. The pairwise distance analysis resulted in divergence of 0-1.71% (12S rRNA), 0-17.5% (16S rRNA), 0-9.1% (ITS2) and 0-20.5% (mitochondrial genome). We also contributed the full-length mitochondrial genome sequence of A. compressum and showed that this species does not share a most recent common ancestor with A. javanense. As the subgenus Adenopleura is paraphyletic, this study could help to understand the systematics and phylogeny of this taxon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan.
| | - Mehran Khan
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
| | - Abdulaziz Alouffi
- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh 12354, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mashal M Almutairi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Archile Paguem
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Lidia Chitimia-Dobler
- Rickettsiology and Virology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich 80937, Germany; Infection and Pandemic Research, Fraunhofer Institute of Immunology, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Ronel Pienaar
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Onderstepoort, South Africa; Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
| | - Minique H de Castro
- The Biotechnology Platform, Agricultural Research Council-Biotechnology Platform, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
| | - Ben J Mans
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Onderstepoort, South Africa; Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa; Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa.
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Ali A, Khan M, Ullah Z, Numan M, Tsai KH, Alouffi A, Almutairi MM, Tanaka T. First record of Alectorobius coniceps (Ixodoidea: Argasidae) and Dermacentor sp. (Ixodoidea: Ixodidae) in Pakistan. Front Vet Sci 2024; 10:1326734. [PMID: 38292134 PMCID: PMC10824997 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1326734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Alectorobius species are soft ticks primarily infesting birds, such as swallows, while Dermacentor species are hard ticks mainly infesting mammals, such as small ruminants. This study for the first time reported on the morphological and molecular bases of two tick species, namely A. coniceps and a Dermacentor sp. in Pakistan. The former species was examined in swallows' nests in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, while the latter species was examined in small ruminants in Balochistan province. In total, 25 ticks were collected, with 14 ticks morphologically identified as A. coniceps (males = 9 and females = 5) and 11 ticks identified as Dermacentor sp. (males = 7 and females = 4). Following morphological identification, molecular identification was gained by obtaining 16S rDNA and cox1 sequences for these ticks. The BLAST results for the 16S rDNA and cox1 sequences from A. coniceps shared a maximum identity of 97.46% and 96.49% with the same species from Malta. The BLAST analysis of the 16S rDNA and cox1 sequences from Dermacentor sp. showed maximum identities of 98.42% and 97.45% with Dermacentor pavlovskyi from China. The phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA and cox1 of A. coniceps showed a close evolutionary relationship with the same species. The case of Dermacentor sp., based on 16S DNA and cox1, indicated a close evolutionary relationship with Dermacentor pavlovskyi from China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Mehran Khan
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Zafar Ullah
- Department of Zoology, University of Loralai, Loralai, Balochistan, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Numan
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Kun-Hsien Tsai
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Abdulaziz Alouffi
- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mashal M. Almutairi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tetsuya Tanaka
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
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