Exploring the individual bacterial microbiota of questing Ixodes ricinus nymphs, with a focus on pathogens.

Ticks are arthropods known worldwide to be vectors of many human, domestic animal and wildlife pathogens. They are ectoparasites that feed exclusively on blood. During these meals, the tick can take up pathogens by co-feeding or by feeding on an infected host. While feeding, an infected tick can also transmit pathogens with its saliva to a new vertebrate host. Ticks of the genus Ixodes are known for their ability to vectorize the well-known Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease spirochete.The role played by the microbiome in the establishment and transmission of pathogens, as well as on tick biology, remains poorly understood.In this study, we aimed to assess the bacterial diversity of individual I. ricinus nymphs collected in the former region Poitou-Charente, France. Using high throughput 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, tick microbiota was characterized, with a focus on pathogens including Borrelia genospecies.