Distribution of Ticks and Prevalence of Tick‐Borne Pathogens in Multiple Regions of China

Ticks and tick‐borne pathogens pose significant threats to livestock and public health. While tick occurrences have been reported in China, systematic assessments of pathogen risk factors across diverse hosts and regions remain limited. This study investigated tick distribution, prevalence, and associated pathogen infections across seven sampling sites in China, analyzing 521 ticks collected from cattle, goats, sheep, dogs, and wild boars. Molecular identification revealed five tick species, with Haemaphysalis longicornis (58.93%, 307/521) and Rhipicephalus microplus (24.18%, 126/521) being the most prevalent, exhibiting distinct host and geographic preferences. Pathogen screening detected Anaplasma bovis (10.94%, 57/521), Anaplasma ovis (6.91%, 36/521), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (3.84%, 20/521), and Piroplasmida (1.34%, 7/521). Pathogen carriage rates varied significantly among regions ( p < 0.05), with the highest in Haikou (45.83%, 44/96). Significant differences in pathogen carriage were observed among tick species ( p < 0.05), with the highest rate in H. hystricis (37.14%, 13/35). The overall co‐infection rate was 3.65% (19/521), predominantly driven by concurrent A. ovis and A. bovis infections (2.30%, 12/521), which may complicate diagnosis and exacerbate disease outcomes. Together, these findings highlight the complex interactions among tick vectors, vertebrate hosts, and pathogen communities across diverse regions of China, revealing host‐ and region‐specific distribution patterns that provide critical evidence to strengthen integrated public health and veterinary surveillance and mitigate zoonotic threats at the human–animal–environment interface.