Molecular detection of piroplasms, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia species in Kazakhstan

Tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) are a global public health issue. However, there have been few reports on the prevalence of piroplasms, <i>Anaplasma</i>, and <i>Ehrlichia</i> in Kazakhstan. To understand the distribution of piroplasms, <i>Anaplasma</i>, and <i>Ehrlichia</i> pathogens 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. Two <i>Babesia</i> species (<i>Babesia occultans</i> and <i>Babesia caballi</i>), four <i>Theileria</i> species (<i>Theileria orientalis</i>, <i>Theileria equi</i>, <i>Theileria annulata</i>, and <i>Theileria ovis</i>), two <i>Anaplasma</i> species (<i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i> and <i>Anaplasma ovis</i>), and three <i>Ehrlichia</i> species were detected. Furthermore, genotype B of <i>B. caballi</i>, genotype 1 (Chitose) of <i>T. orientalis</i>, and genotype A of <i>T. equi</i> were confirmed. For the first time, <i>A. phagocytophilum</i>, three phylogeny-independent <i>Ehrlichia</i> spp., genotype B of <i>B. caballi</i>, and genotype A of <i>T. equi</i> were found in Kazakhstan. These findings expand our understanding of the geographical distribution of piroplasms, <i>Anaplasma</i>, and <i>Ehrlichia</i> in Central Asia.