Molecular Detection and Phylogenetic Analysis of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Ticks Collected from Horses in the Republic of Korea.

The horse industry has grown rapidly as a leisure industry in the Republic of Korea (ROK) in parallel with an increased demand for equestrian activities. As a result, there has been an increase in horse breeding and equestrian population and potential exposure to ticks and their associated pathogens. To provide a better understanding of the potential disease risks of veterinary and medical importance, a study was conducted to determine the geographical distribution and diversity of ticks collected from horses and vegetation associated with horse racetracks/ranches throughout the ROK. This included a survey of five associated common pathogens, , , spp., , and . A total 9220 ticks were collected from horses and associated pastures. Ticks were identified to species, stage of development, and sex. Two species of ticks, (99.9%) and (0.1%) were identified. Two of the target pathogens, and spp., were detected in 5/1409 tick pools (0.35%) and 4/1409 pools (0.28%) of , respectively, both of which are zoonotic pathogens of medical importance. The results of 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis of showed a close relationship to strains distributed in China, USA, Germany, Italy, Turkey, and Poland. spp. showed a close relationship, based on 16S rRNA gene, to the strains reported from the USA ( and ) and Japan ( and ). These results provide information about the potential risks of veterinary and medical importance and the development of mitigation strategies for disease prevention.