Tick-borne pathogens from ruminant ticks in a Mediterranean ecosystem from Eastern Spain

Vector-borne diseases represent various sicknesses that are increasingly significant in human and veterinary health. Among the zoonotic agents transmitted by ticks, infections caused by the intracellular pathogens from the Anaplasmataceae family and piroplasmids (Babesia/Theileria spp.) are particularly notable due to the substantial economic losses they cause in the livestock sector. A study was carried out to assess the prevalence of these pathogens in ticks from ruminants in the province of Valencia (Eastern Iberian Peninsula). Between 2019 and 2022, 1674 ticks were collected from 163 domestic and wild ruminants. The tick species were identified using molecular and morphological features and included Rhipicephalus spp. (Rhipicephalus bursa and Rhipicephalus sanguineus) (88.7%), Haemaphysalis sulcata (5.9%), Ixodes ricinus (3.6%) and Dermacentor marginatum (1.2%). The Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica) was found to be at greater risk of infestation by Haemaphysalis compared to other ruminants. Polimerase Chain Reaction (PCR) analysis was performed on 108 individual ticks from different hosts, with 16.7% testing positive for members of the Anaplasmataceae family and 39.8% for Theileria spp. Sequencing of 10 positive samples from each pathogen group revealed the presence of Anaplasma ovis, Anaplasma platys, Ehrlichia spp., Theileria ovis and Theileria capreoli. No Anaplasma phagocytophilum or Babesia spp. were detected. Further research is essential for improved management of ticks and the diseases they transmit in the study area.