The Microbiome of Rhipicephalus microplus Ticks Infesting Water Buffalo

To investigate the bacterial diversity and the presence of common tick-borne pathogens in ticks parasitizing the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in Anfu County, Jiangxi Province, China, ticks were collected from the body surface of water buffaloes. The ticks were identified to species level through morphological and molecular methods. Subsequently, DNA samples extracted from these ticks were subjected to 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing for bacterial community analysis and PCR detection targeting specific genes of tick-borne bacterial pathogens.