Molecular detection of piroplasms,, andspecies in Kazakhstan.

Abstract

Tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) are a global public health issue. However, there have been few reports on the prevalence of piroplasms,, andin Kazakhstan. To understand the distribution of piroplasms,, andpathogens carried by ticks in Kazakhstan, a total of 10,461 ticks were collected from natural hosts (e.g., cattle, sheep, and horses) in six oblasts in eastern, southern, and western Kazakhstan between 2022 and 2024. After morphological identification, 272 representative ticks were further used for species-level detection and partial genotyping analysis of TBPs. Twospecies (and), fourspecies (,,, and), twospecies (and), and threespecies were detected. Furthermore, genotype B of, genotype 1 (Chitose) of, and genotype A ofwere confirmed. For the first time,, three phylogeny-independentspp., genotype B of, and genotype A ofwere found in Kazakhstan. These findings expand our understanding of the geographical distribution of piroplasms,, andin Central Asia.