Molecular Characterization of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Jiangxi Province: A High Prevalence of Rickettsia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia in Rhipicephalus microplus in Cattle from Ganzhou City, China

<i>Rickettsia</i>, <i>Anaplasma</i>, and <i>Ehrlichia</i> species are emerging tick-borne pathogens that cause zoonotic diseases, including rickettsiosis, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis in both human and animal populations. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of these pathogens in cattle-associated ticks from Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, China. Through molecular characterization using multilocus sequence analysis (16S <i>rRNA</i>, <i>gltA</i>, <i>groEL</i>, and <i>ompA</i> genes), we analyzed 392 <i>Rhipicephalus microplus</i> ticks collected from March to September in 2022. The PCR results showed that eight Rickettsiales bacteria were detected, including two species of <i>Rickettsia</i> (51/392, 13.0%), four species of <i>Anaplasma</i> (52/392, 13.3%), and two species of <i>Ehrlichia</i> (70/392, 17.9%). Notably, the circulation of multiple pathogen species within <i>R. microplus</i> populations demonstrates significant microbial diversity in this region. Further consideration and investigation should be given to the possible occurrence of rickettsiosis, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis in humans and domestic animals. Our study provides critical baseline data for developing targeted surveillance strategies and informing public health interventions against tick-borne diseases in southeastern China.