Health risks associated with argasid ticks, transmitted pathogens, and blood parasites in Pyrenean griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) nestlings

There is a knowledge gap in the study of Argasidae soft ticks and the pathogens they can transmit. These hematophagous arthropods are widely distributed and are often considered typical bird ectoparasites. Tick-parasitized birds can act not only as a reservoir of pathogens but also can carry these pathogen-infected arthropods to new areas. Seven griffon vulture nestlings were sampled in northeastern Spain, collecting ticks (n = 28) from two individuals and blood from each vulture (n = 7). Blood samples from griffon vultures tested PCR positive for Flavivirus (7/7), Anaplasma (6/7), piroplasms (4/7), and Rickettsia (1/7). A total of 27 of the 28 analyzed ticks were positive for Rickettsia, 9/28 for Anaplasma, 2/28 for piroplasms, and 5/28 for Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFv). Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses confirmed the presence of Rickettsia spp., Babesia ardeae, and zoonotic Anaplasma phagocytophilum in vultures and Rickettsia spp., B. ardeae, and CCHFv genotype V in ticks. ; Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This work was partially supported by the Health Sciences Institute of the Government of Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM), Spain, through project [BPLY/19/180501/000321], cofunded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER); by the project [RTI2018-099609-B-C22] from the I + D + I National Plan funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and by the Government of Aragon through Fondo Europeo Agrícola de Desarrollo Rural (FEADER) funds. AMF is funded by Research Plan of University of Castilla-La Mancha, UCLM, Spain, grant [2020-PREDUCLM-16703]. MSS is supported by Investigo Program, funded by European Union (Next Generation EU). CMH is funded by Margarita Salas Postdoctoral Grant in Murcia University, supported by the Requalification Program of the Spanish University System and by European Union (Next Generation EU). POV and AM are supported by the project [RTI2018- 099609-B-C22]. The funders had no role in study design, ...