Microbiome study on adult male and female Ixodes scapularis from central Pennsylvania

The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, is the vector of several zoonotic pathogens/parasites including the etiological agents of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi), anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum), and babesiosis (Babesia microti). In this study we investigated sex-specific differences in bacterial communities from adult I. scapularis populations sampled from Central Pennsylvania.