%0 Journal Article %A MAO Ling-ling %A PENG Yao %A SUN Ying-wei %A WANG Zi-jiang %A XIA Lian-xu %A ZHANG Jia-yong %A ZHANG Ji-bo %A WANG Yan-hua %T Detection of Francisella strains and Francisella-like endosymbionts in ticks in some regions of China %D 2021 %R 10.11853/j.issn.1003.8280.2021.06.020 %J Chinese Journal of Vector Biology and Control %P 756-762 %V 32 %N 6 %X Objective To detect Francisella strains and Francisella-like endosymbionts (FLEs) in ticks in China. Methods We selected Liaoning province, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Hubei province as sampling sites, which are located in Northeast, Northwest, and South Central China, respectively. A total of 715 ticks were collected, including 627 Haemaphysalis longicornis and 88 Hyalomma asiaticum ticks. For all the collected ticks, we amplified the 16S rRNA gene and tul4 gene to detect Francisella strains and FLEs. We performed sequencing and homology alignment on PCR products with amplified target fragments, and conducted a phylogenetic analysis with published sequences of Francisella and FLEs in GenBank. Results Five of 24 Ha. longicornis pools from Liaoyang, Liaoning province harbored F. tularensis, showing a minimum prevalence of 2.12% (5/236) in Ha. longicornis ticks from Liaoyang. The prevalence of FLEs was 3.39% (8/236) in Ha. longicornis from Liaoyang, 32.95% (58/176) in Ha. longicornis from Shenyang, Liaoning province, 41.86% (90/215) in Ha. longicornis from Wuhan, Hubei province, and 100% (88/88) in Hy. asiaticum from Bole, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The phylogenic analyses based on the 16S rRNA and tul4 genes indicated that FLEs in China had high genetic diversity and significant differences with other known FLEs in the world. Conclusion It is the first time to discover FLEs in Ha. longicornis. FLEs from Ha. longicornis and Hy. asiaticum ticks in China compose a separate lineage, suggesting that these FLEs may be newly discovered. %U http://www.bmsw.net.cn/EN/10.11853/j.issn.1003.8280.2021.06.020