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Preprint
Metagenomic resolution of spotted-fever group Rickettsia tasmanensis and novel DNA viruses in Australian wildlife ticks, with spatial modelling of Rickettsia exposure zones
bioRxiv , Vol.8 July 2025
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
2025
Abstract
Australia’s spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae cause significant illness, yet microbial diversity in wildlife ticks remains incompletely understood. Metagenomic sequencing of nine tick pools representing three Ixodidae species, Ixodes tasmani, I. holocyclus, and Haemaphysalis bancrofti, from Australian wildlife revealed a genome of a novel SFG Rickettsia species from I. tasmani ticks collected from koalas in New South Wales. Phylogenomic analysis confirmed this as a distinct species closely related to Rickettsia tasmaniensis fragments previously reported from Tasmanian devils. Additionally, we discovered four novel DNA Anellovirus species forming a new genus ‘Sintorquevirus’ and one Circovirus from likely vertebrate blood meals, revealing wildlife viral diversity. Species distribution modelling of I. tasmani for assessing Rickettsia risk revealed suitable habitat along Australia’s eastern coastlines, with overlap between vector distribution, marsupial hosts, and population centres. This identified potential Candidatus R. tasmanensis exposure zones in coastal regions where positive samples originated, highlighting areas for surveillance.
Details
- Title
- Metagenomic resolution of spotted-fever group Rickettsia tasmanensis and novel DNA viruses in Australian wildlife ticks, with spatial modelling of Rickettsia exposure zones
- Authors
- Rhys Parry (Corresponding Author) - The University of QueenslandErnest Jun Ming Teo - The University of QueenslandMary E Petrone - The University of SydneyAdam G Stewart - The University of QueenslandDelaney Burnard - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Information Technology - Engagement & Transformation ServicesStephen C Barker - The University of Queensland
- Publication details
- bioRxiv , Vol.8 July 2025
- Publisher
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1101/2025.07.08.663691
- ISSN
- 2692-8205
- Copyright note
- The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
- Data Availability
- Raw sequencing data produced for this study have been deposited in the Sequence Read Archive (SRA) in the NCBI database under the BioProject accession number PRJNA936717. The draft genome sequence for Candidatus Rickettsia tasmanensis strain:B6T is available under the BioProject accession PRJNA914631 and accession number GCA_036857515.
- Grants
- Molecular characterization of chlamydial infections in native Australian marsupials, 0980024185, Ecological Society of Australia (Australia, Canberra) - ESA
- Grant note
- This research utilized data generated by Burnard and Shao 2019, which was funded by the Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment – Equity Trustees Charitable Foundation.
- Organisation Unit
- Information Technology - Engagement & Transformation Services; Sustainability Research Cluster
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991155038102621
- Output Type
- Preprint
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