Abstract
BACKGROUND: Ticks are ectoparasites that feed on blood and pose a threat to both the livestock industry and public health due to their ability to transmit pathogens through biting. However, the impact of factors such as bloodmeal and geographic regions on the bacterial microbiota of Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis remains poorly understood. METHODS: In this study, we used the v3-v4 region of the 16S rRNA gene to sequence the microbiota of Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis from eight groups (HY_M, YS_M, XH_M, LD_M, BM_M, LD_F_F, LD_F, and BM_F_F) in Qinghai Province. RESULTS: Significant differences in bacterial richness were observed between LD_F_F, BM_F_F, and LD_F (P < 0.01), and among the five groups (HY_M, YS_M, XH_M, BM_M, and LD_M) (P < 0.05). The bacterial diversity also differed significantly between LD_F_F, LD_F, and BM_F_F (P < 0.01), as well as among the five groups (HY_M, YS_M, XH_M, LD_M, and BM_M) (P < 0.01). The group with the highest number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) was LD_F, accounting for 23.93 % (419/1751), while BM_F_F accounted for at least 0.80 % (14/1751). At the phylum level, Firmicutes was the most abundant, with relative abundance ranging from 7.44 % to 96.62 %. At the genus level, Staphylococcus had the highest abundance, ranging from 1.67 % to 97.53 %. The endosymbiotic bacteria Coxiella and Rickettsia were predominantly enriched in LD_F_F. Additionally, the 16S gene of Coxiella showed the highest identity of 99.07 % with Coxiella sp. isolated from Xinxiang hl9 (MG9066 71.1), while the 16S gene of Rickettsia had 100 % identity with Candidatus Rickettsia hongyuanensis strains (OK 662395.1). Functional predictions for the prokaryotic microbial community indicated that the main functional categories were Metabolic, Genetic information processing, and Environmental information processing across the eight groups. CONCLUSION: This study provides a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of tick-borne diseases, which is of great significance for public health.