Bloodmeal metabarcoding of the argasid tick (Ornithodoros turicata Dugès) reveals extensive vector-host associations

<p>Molecular methods to understand host feeding patterns of arthropod vectors are critical to assess exposure risk to vector-borne disease and unveil complex ecological interactions. We build on our prior work discovering the utility of PCR-Sanger sequencing bloodmeal analysis that work well for soft ticks (<em>Acari: Argasidae</em>), unlike for hard ticks (<em>Acari: Ixodidae</em>), thanks to their unique physiology that retains prior bloodmeals for years. Here, we apply bloodmeal metabarcoding using amplicon deep sequencing to identify multiple host species in individual <em>Ornithodoros turicata</em> soft ticks collected from two natural areas in Texas, United States. Of 788 collected <em>O. turicata</em>, 394 were evaluated for bloodmeal source via metabarcoding, revealing 27 different vertebrate hosts (17 mammals, 5 birds, 1 reptile, and 4 amphibians) fed upon by 274 soft ticks. Information on multiple hosts was derived from 167 individual <em>O. turicata</em> (61%). Metabarcoding revealed mixed vertebrate bloodmeals in <em>O. turicata</em> while same specimens yielded only one vertebrate species using Sanger sequencing. These data reveal wide host range of <em>O. turicata</em> and demonstrate the value of bloodmeal metabarcoding for understanding the ecology for known and potential tick-borne pathogens circulating among humans, domestic animals and wildlife such as relapsing fever caused by <em>Borrelia turicatae</em>. Our results also document evidence of prior feeding on wild pig from an off-host soft tick for the first time in North America; a critical observation in the context of enzootic transmission of African swine fever virus if it were introduced to the US. This research enhances our understanding of vector-host associations and offers a promising perspective for biodiversity monitoring and disease control strategies.</p>