Molecular detection of a canine respiratory pathogen, Mycoplasma cynos, in the lone star tick Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae).

Abstract

Mycoplasma cynos (Rosendal 1973, Mycoplasmatales, Mycoplasmataceae) is a significant bacterial pathogen within the Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRD), causing substantial morbidity worldwide in pet and kennel dog populations. While its role as both a primary and secondary pathogen in respiratory disease is established, the epidemiology and potential for vector-borne transmission of M. cynos remains understudied. Here, we describe an identified association of M. cynos with a lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum L., collected in New Jersey, USA, using a next-generation metabarcoding approach. Sequence identity and phylogenetic analysis confirmed its provenance as a canine-derived M. cynos strain, and to our knowledge represents the first identification of this pathogen in ticks. These findings suggest a potential tick-mediated epidemiological link between canine hosts and the environment, underlining the need for further studies on tick-borne transmission dynamics and their role in the broader ecology of canine and wildlife respiratory pathogens.