TY - JOUR
T1 - Tracking tick-borne diseases in Mongolian livestock using next generation sequencing (NGS)
AU - Chaorattanakawee, Suwanna
AU - Wofford, Rachel N.
AU - Takhampunya, Ratree
AU - Katherine Poole-Smith, B.
AU - Boldbaatar, Bazartseren
AU - Lkhagvatseren, Sukhbaatar
AU - Altantogtokh, Doniddemberel
AU - Musih, Elisha
AU - Nymadawa, Pagbajab
AU - Davidson, Silas
AU - Hertz, Jeffrey
AU - Fiorenzano, Jodi
AU - Gray, Gregory C.
AU - von Fricken, Michael E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021
PY - 2022/1
Y1 - 2022/1
N2 - The livestock industry in Mongolia accounts for 24% of national revenue, with one third of the population maintaining a pastoral lifestyle. This close connection between Mongolian population and livestock is a major concern for pathogen transfer, especially given the increase in vector-borne diseases globally. This study examines blood samples from livestock to assess the prevalence of tick-borne bacterial infections across three provinces in Mongolia (Dornogovi, Selenge, Töv). Whole blood samples from 243 livestock (cattle=38, camel=11, goat=85, horse=22, sheep=87) were analyzed with 16S metagenomics next-generation sequencing (NGS) to screen for bacterial pathogens. Positive-NGS samples for Anaplasma, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, Francisella, Leptospira, and Rickettsia were confirmed by conventional PCR and DNA sequencing. Prevalence rates of Anaplasma, Bartonella, and Ehrlichia were 57.6%, 12.8%, and 0.4%, respectively. A significant difference in the prevalence of Anaplasma spp. in livestock by province was observed, with a higher prevalence in Selenge (74.2%, p<0.001) and Töv (64.2% p = 0.006) compared to the semi-arid region of Dornogovi (39.8%). In contrast, no association was observed in Bartonella prevalence by provinces. All Anaplasma sequences (N = 139) were characterized as A. ovis. For Bartonella species characterization, phylogenetic analyses of gltA and rpoB genes identified three Bartonella species including B. bovis, B. melophagi and Candidatus B. ovis. Bartonella bovis was detected in all 22-positive cattle, while B. melophagi and Candidatus B. ovis were found in four and three sheep, respectively. This study identifies a high prevalence of tick-borne pathogens within the livestock population and to our knowledge, is the first time NGS methods have been used to explore tick-borne diseases in Mongolia. Further research is needed in Mongolia to better understand the clinical and economic burdens associated with tick-borne diseases in both livestock and pastoral herder populations.
AB - The livestock industry in Mongolia accounts for 24% of national revenue, with one third of the population maintaining a pastoral lifestyle. This close connection between Mongolian population and livestock is a major concern for pathogen transfer, especially given the increase in vector-borne diseases globally. This study examines blood samples from livestock to assess the prevalence of tick-borne bacterial infections across three provinces in Mongolia (Dornogovi, Selenge, Töv). Whole blood samples from 243 livestock (cattle=38, camel=11, goat=85, horse=22, sheep=87) were analyzed with 16S metagenomics next-generation sequencing (NGS) to screen for bacterial pathogens. Positive-NGS samples for Anaplasma, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, Francisella, Leptospira, and Rickettsia were confirmed by conventional PCR and DNA sequencing. Prevalence rates of Anaplasma, Bartonella, and Ehrlichia were 57.6%, 12.8%, and 0.4%, respectively. A significant difference in the prevalence of Anaplasma spp. in livestock by province was observed, with a higher prevalence in Selenge (74.2%, p<0.001) and Töv (64.2% p = 0.006) compared to the semi-arid region of Dornogovi (39.8%). In contrast, no association was observed in Bartonella prevalence by provinces. All Anaplasma sequences (N = 139) were characterized as A. ovis. For Bartonella species characterization, phylogenetic analyses of gltA and rpoB genes identified three Bartonella species including B. bovis, B. melophagi and Candidatus B. ovis. Bartonella bovis was detected in all 22-positive cattle, while B. melophagi and Candidatus B. ovis were found in four and three sheep, respectively. This study identifies a high prevalence of tick-borne pathogens within the livestock population and to our knowledge, is the first time NGS methods have been used to explore tick-borne diseases in Mongolia. Further research is needed in Mongolia to better understand the clinical and economic burdens associated with tick-borne diseases in both livestock and pastoral herder populations.
KW - Anaplasma
KW - Bartonella
KW - Mongolia
KW - Next generation sequencing
KW - One health
KW - Tick-borne disease
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85117615605&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85117615605&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101845
DO - 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101845
M3 - Article
C2 - 34689003
AN - SCOPUS:85117615605
SN - 1877-959X
VL - 13
JO - Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases
JF - Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases
IS - 1
M1 - 101845
ER -