Molecular Epidemiology of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Jiangxi Province: A High Prevalence of Rickettsia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia in Rhipicephalus microplus from Cattle in Ganzhou City, China

Rickettsia, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia species are emerging tick-borne pathogens that cause zoonotic diseases including rickettsiosis, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis in both human and animal populations. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of these pathogens in cattle-associated ticks from Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, China. Through molecular characterization using multilocus sequence analysis (16S rRNA, gltA, groEL, and ompA genes), we analyzed 392 Rhipicephalus microplus ticks collected from 2022 to 2023. The PCR results showed that 8 pathogens were detected, including 2 species of Rickettsia (51/392, 13.0%), 4 species of Anaplasma (52/392, 13.3%), and 2 species of Ehrlichia (70/392, 17.9%). Notably, the circulation of multiple pathogen species within R. microplus populations demonstrates significant microbial diversity in this region. Further consideration and investigation should be given to the possible occurrence of rickettsiosis, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis in humans and domestic animals. Our study provides critical baseline data for developing targeted surveillance strategies and informs public health interventions against tick-borne diseases in southeastern China.