METHODS: A total of 69 ticks were collected from 27 domestic fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus), 2 jungle fowl (Gallus gallus) and 3 Siamese firebacks (Lophura diardi) at 10 locations (provinces) in Thailand. Ticks were identified and PCR was used to amplify Coxiella bacteria 16S rRNA, groEL and rpoB genes from the extracted tick DNA. MEGA6 was used to construct phylogenetic trees via a Maximum Likelihood method.
RESULTS: The phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene showed that the Coxiella sequences detected in this study grouped in the same clade with Coxiella sequences from the same tick genus (or species) reported previously. In contrast, rpoB gene of the Coxiella bacteria detected in this study did not cluster together with the same tick genus reported previously. Instead, they clustered by geographical distribution (Thai cluster and Malaysian cluster). In addition, phylogenetic analysis of the groEL gene (the chaperonin family) showed that all Coxiella bacteria found in this study were grouped in the same clade (three sister groups).
CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, we found for the first time rpoB genes of Coxiella-like bacteria in Haemaphysalis wellingtoni ticks forming two distinct clades by phylogenetic analysis. This may be indicative of a horizontal gene transfer event.