Molecular characterization of tick-borne infections in cattle in northern Kenya

Abstract

Human health and animal health are closely linked in terms of the One Health concept by ticks and mosquitoes, among others, acting as vectors for zoonotic pathogens. Ticks are vectors of emerging infectious diseases that have been spreading in recent decades due to climate change and pose a threat to human and animal health. Yet, the epidemiological data on their diversity and impact on cattle in northern Kenya are limited. In this study, we characterized the diversity of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in cattle in northern Kenya using molecular tools. We screened blood and ticks (496 pools) collected from 211 cattle for presence bacterial, protozoan and viral TBPs by high-resolution melting analysis and confirmed species identity through gene sequencing. The three predominantly sampled tick species were Rhipicephalus pulchellus (44.2%), Hyalomma rufipes (32.0%), and Amblyomma gemma (19.5%). We detected Crimean‐Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus (0.4%) in Hy. rufipes, and Ehrlichia ruminantium (8.4%), causative agent of heartwater in ruminants, in Am. gemma and Rh. pulchellus tick species infesting cattle, indicating its endemicity in northern Kenya. We also detected Anaplasma marginale and Theileria velifera in both blood and tick species, Ehrlichia spp., Theileria ovis, Babesia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia africae and Rickettsia aeschlimannii in ticks from cattle. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases in cattle in northern Kenya, emphasizing the importance of surveillance and control measures to mitigate the impact of the identified TBPs on livestock health and productivity.