Tick-borne pathogens identified in Hyalomma marginatum (Acari: Ixodidae) collected from various vertebrate hosts in the South of France

Hyalomma marginatum is a common ectoparasitic tick of ungulates, lagomorphs, insectivores, ground-foraging birds, observed in Corsica for decades, but whose permanent establishment in mainland France is very recent. This species is known to be one of the main vectors of the Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus, but also of various parasitic, bacterial or viral pathogens. In this study, we investigated the molecular infection rates of numerous tick-borne pathogens in ticks mainly sampled on horses, and occasionally on other animal species, from the French Mediterranean rim and Corsica between 2016 and 2020. In total, 1, 195 DNA and RNA purified from individual tick or pools of ticks were screened for 26 microbial genera or species (viruses, bacteria and parasites), using a high-throughput microfluidic real-time PCR system (BioMark™ dynamic array system, Standard Biotools). For individual ticks and pooled ones, respectively, the most prevalent tick-borne microorganisms were Francisella -like endosymbionts at 97.0% and 96.8%, followed by Rickettsia aeschlimannii (76.4% and 96.4%), Theileria spp. and Theileria equi (3,5% and 0%; 1,9% and 5,8%), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (3.7% and 6.7%), and West Nile virus (0.1% and 0.4%). Babesia occultans (0.9%), Ehrlichia minasensis (0.3%), and Coxiella -like endosymbionts (0.1%) were only detected in individual ticks. Our study provides an overview of the diversity of microorganisms and tick-borne pathogens detected in the invasive tick H. marginatum in Mediterranean France. Our results question the possible distribution of tick-borne pathogens in Corsica and the continental departments of the Mediterranean rim. Our study opens up new research perspectives on the epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens carried by H. marginatum and on the associated public and veterinary health risks.