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Volume 14
Issue 10
10.3390/pathogens14101008
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Article

Metagenomic Profile of Bacterial Communities of Hyalomma scupense and Hyalomma asiaticum Ticks in Kazakhstan

by
Kulyaisan T. Sultankulova
1,*,
Nurlan S. Kozhabergenov
1,
Gaukhar O. Shynybekova
1,
Meirim D. Almezhanova
1,
Samat B. Zhaksylyk
1,
Madina R. Abayeva
1,
Olga V. Chervyakova
1,
Takhmina O. Argimbayeva
1 and
Mukhit B. Orynbayev
1,2,3,*
1
LLP «Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems», «National Holding QazBioPharm», The Ministry of Health Care of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Gvardeiskiy, Kordai District, Zhambyl 080409, Kazakhstan
2
LLP Research and Production Center «MVA Group», Village Koksay, Karasai District, Almaty 040921, Kazakhstan
3
National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Pathogens 2025, 14(10), 1008; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14101008
Submission received: 30 August 2025 / Revised: 30 September 2025 / Accepted: 3 October 2025 / Published: 6 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in a Changing World)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Ticks are important vectors of pathogens affecting humans and animals, posing a serious threat to health. For the first time, we studied the metagenomic profile of the microbial composition of Hyalomma scupense and Hyalomma asiaticum ticks in Kazakhstan. A total of 94 adult H. asiaticum and H. scupense ticks collected from randomly selected cattle in Kazakhstan in 2023 were analyzed. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed using the Ion Torrent NGS platform. Taxonomic classification was carried out in the BV-BRC platform with the Kraken2 database. Metagenomic analysis revealed 26 bacterial genera, including both pathogenic and symbiotic taxa. In H. scupense, the dominant groups were Francisella (89.0%), Staphylococcus (76.0%) and Candidatus Midichloria (61.0%), while in H. asiaticum, they were Francisella (99.0% and 95.0%) and Helcococcus (65.0%). In male H. scupense, the proportion of Francisella reached 89%, whereas in females, it varied from 2% to 28%. In H. asiaticum, Helcococcus accounted for 65% in males compared to 11% in females. This is the first report on the metagenomic profile of the microbiota of H. scupense and H. asiaticum in Kazakhstan. The detection of pathogens indicates a risk of their transmission to humans and animals and highlights the need to develop new tick control strategies.
Keywords: tick; H. scupense; H. asiaticum; microbiome; bacteria; sequencing; 16S rRNA tick; H. scupense; H. asiaticum; microbiome; bacteria; sequencing; 16S rRNA

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MDPI and ACS Style

Sultankulova, K.T.; Kozhabergenov, N.S.; Shynybekova, G.O.; Almezhanova, M.D.; Zhaksylyk, S.B.; Abayeva, M.R.; Chervyakova, O.V.; Argimbayeva, T.O.; Orynbayev, M.B. Metagenomic Profile of Bacterial Communities of Hyalomma scupense and Hyalomma asiaticum Ticks in Kazakhstan. Pathogens 2025, 14, 1008. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14101008

AMA Style

Sultankulova KT, Kozhabergenov NS, Shynybekova GO, Almezhanova MD, Zhaksylyk SB, Abayeva MR, Chervyakova OV, Argimbayeva TO, Orynbayev MB. Metagenomic Profile of Bacterial Communities of Hyalomma scupense and Hyalomma asiaticum Ticks in Kazakhstan. Pathogens. 2025; 14(10):1008. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14101008

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sultankulova, Kulyaisan T., Nurlan S. Kozhabergenov, Gaukhar O. Shynybekova, Meirim D. Almezhanova, Samat B. Zhaksylyk, Madina R. Abayeva, Olga V. Chervyakova, Takhmina O. Argimbayeva, and Mukhit B. Orynbayev. 2025. "Metagenomic Profile of Bacterial Communities of Hyalomma scupense and Hyalomma asiaticum Ticks in Kazakhstan" Pathogens 14, no. 10: 1008. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14101008

APA Style

Sultankulova, K. T., Kozhabergenov, N. S., Shynybekova, G. O., Almezhanova, M. D., Zhaksylyk, S. B., Abayeva, M. R., Chervyakova, O. V., Argimbayeva, T. O., & Orynbayev, M. B. (2025). Metagenomic Profile of Bacterial Communities of Hyalomma scupense and Hyalomma asiaticum Ticks in Kazakhstan. Pathogens, 14(10), 1008. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14101008

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