Detection of <i>Babesia, Borrelia, Anaplasma</i> , and <i>Rickettsia</i> spp. in Adult Black-Legged Ticks ( <i>Ixodes scapularis</i> ) from Pennsylvania, United States, with a Luminex Multiplex Bead Assay

Abstract

<i>Ixodes scapularis</i>, the black-legged tick, harbors multiple organisms and transmits several pathogens to animals and humans. To determine the presence of tick-borne microorganisms carried by <i>I. scapularis</i> in Pennsylvania, 299 adult <i>I. scapularis</i> ticks were collected from across the state and tested with a multiplex bead panel targeting 20 microorganisms. The Luminex bead-based xMAP^® MultiFLEX Mega Tick Panel detected microorganisms in these ticks, including <i>Anaplasma</i> spp. (1.7%), <i>Borrelia</i> spp. (45.8%), <i>Babesia</i> spp. (16.1%), and <i>Rickettsia</i> spp. (22.1%) at the genera level and identified <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i> (1.7%), <i>Babesia microti</i> (0.7%), <i>Borrelia burgdorferi sensu</i> stricto (45.5%), <i>Borrelia miyamotoi</i> (0.3%), and <i>Rickettsia parkeri</i> (0.7%) at the species level. <i>Babesia</i> spp. reactivity was found to be due to <i>Ba. odocoilei</i>, and <i>Rickettsia</i> spp. reactivity was mainly due to rickettsial endosymbionts.