Metataxonomic profiles of bacterial and parasitic communities in ticks collected from wildlife in Colombia

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Autore principale: Correa Valencia, Nathalia María del Pilar
Natura: Recurso digital
Lingua:inglese
Pubblicazione: Zenodo 2025
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author Correa Valencia, Nathalia María del Pilar
author_facet Correa Valencia, Nathalia María del Pilar
contents <p><strong><span>Background </span></strong><span>As a tropical country, Colombia hosts a wide range of arthropods that can act as disease vectors, particularly those carrying hemopathogens. Ticks are crucial vectors in the life cycle of many pathogens, making them a significant focus of research for both human and veterinary medical applications. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the presence of microorganisms in ticks collected from wildlife in Antioquia (Colombia) through bioinformatic analysis.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Methods </span></strong><span>A prospective, cross-sectional, random, </span><span>nonprobabilistic,</span><span> convenience-based study involving tick collection from animals in three different zones of Antioquia</span><span> was conducted</span><span>. Initially, vertebrate species were morphologically characterized </span><span>via</span><span> taxonomic keys and identification guides for amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Ticks were manually collected from these animals and preserved in absolute ethanol for later taxonomic identification. Genomic DNA was then extracted, and the resulting reads were processed through bioinformatic analysis, achieving taxonomic classification within DNA libraries of gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, and parasites. Additionally, descriptive statistics were calculated for all variables of interest at the animal level (e.g., genus, species, sex, and age group, when applicable) and study zone.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Results </span></strong><span>A total of 570 ticks, predominantly <em>Amblyomma</em> spp., were obtained from 46 host animals. Ticks from lizards </span><span>presented</span><span> the highest bacterial richness and diversity (based on 16S gDNA), </span><span>whereas</span><span> ticks from amphibians </span><span>presented</span><span> the lowest. Proteobacteria dominated most samples, as shown </span><span>by</span><span> the taxonomic composition at the phylum, family, and genus levels. Ticks collected from mammals displayed lower diversity and richness </span><span>than </span><span>those </span><span>collected </span><span>from reptiles. For parasitic communities (18S gDNA), dominant eukaryotes were identified in ticks from mammals, excluding host-related taxa. Overall, lizard-associated ticks </span><span>presented</span><span> the most complex microbial diversity, </span><span>whereas</span><span> amphibian ticks were less diverse, highlighting </span><span>the </span><span>significant variation in microbial and parasitic communities across host species.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Conclusions </span></strong><span>This study highlights the microbial diversity </span><span>of</span><span> ticks from wild hosts in Colombia, </span><span>focusing</span><span> on the dominance of <em>Francisella</em>, <em>Rickettsia</em>, <em>Aspergillus</em>, and <em>Penicillium</em>. </span><span>These findings underscore</span><span> the need for further research on their ecological roles, transmission dynamics, and potential health risks, aiming to inform strategies to mitigate tick-borne diseases.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span>The file corresponds to t</span><span>he nucleotide sequences obtained in this study.</span></p>
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publishDate 2025
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spellingShingle Metataxonomic profiles of bacterial and parasitic communities in ticks collected from wildlife in Colombia
Correa Valencia, Nathalia María del Pilar
Arthropods, Hemoparasites, Wildlife, Metataxonomic, Molecular detection
<p><strong><span>Background </span></strong><span>As a tropical country, Colombia hosts a wide range of arthropods that can act as disease vectors, particularly those carrying hemopathogens. Ticks are crucial vectors in the life cycle of many pathogens, making them a significant focus of research for both human and veterinary medical applications. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the presence of microorganisms in ticks collected from wildlife in Antioquia (Colombia) through bioinformatic analysis.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Methods </span></strong><span>A prospective, cross-sectional, random, </span><span>nonprobabilistic,</span><span> convenience-based study involving tick collection from animals in three different zones of Antioquia</span><span> was conducted</span><span>. Initially, vertebrate species were morphologically characterized </span><span>via</span><span> taxonomic keys and identification guides for amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Ticks were manually collected from these animals and preserved in absolute ethanol for later taxonomic identification. Genomic DNA was then extracted, and the resulting reads were processed through bioinformatic analysis, achieving taxonomic classification within DNA libraries of gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, and parasites. Additionally, descriptive statistics were calculated for all variables of interest at the animal level (e.g., genus, species, sex, and age group, when applicable) and study zone.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Results </span></strong><span>A total of 570 ticks, predominantly <em>Amblyomma</em> spp., were obtained from 46 host animals. Ticks from lizards </span><span>presented</span><span> the highest bacterial richness and diversity (based on 16S gDNA), </span><span>whereas</span><span> ticks from amphibians </span><span>presented</span><span> the lowest. Proteobacteria dominated most samples, as shown </span><span>by</span><span> the taxonomic composition at the phylum, family, and genus levels. Ticks collected from mammals displayed lower diversity and richness </span><span>than </span><span>those </span><span>collected </span><span>from reptiles. For parasitic communities (18S gDNA), dominant eukaryotes were identified in ticks from mammals, excluding host-related taxa. Overall, lizard-associated ticks </span><span>presented</span><span> the most complex microbial diversity, </span><span>whereas</span><span> amphibian ticks were less diverse, highlighting </span><span>the </span><span>significant variation in microbial and parasitic communities across host species.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Conclusions </span></strong><span>This study highlights the microbial diversity </span><span>of</span><span> ticks from wild hosts in Colombia, </span><span>focusing</span><span> on the dominance of <em>Francisella</em>, <em>Rickettsia</em>, <em>Aspergillus</em>, and <em>Penicillium</em>. </span><span>These findings underscore</span><span> the need for further research on their ecological roles, transmission dynamics, and potential health risks, aiming to inform strategies to mitigate tick-borne diseases.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span>The file corresponds to t</span><span>he nucleotide sequences obtained in this study.</span></p>
title Metataxonomic profiles of bacterial and parasitic communities in ticks collected from wildlife in Colombia
topic Arthropods, Hemoparasites, Wildlife, Metataxonomic, Molecular detection
url https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14605260