Ticks and Pathogens: Molecular Profiling of Rhipicephalus microplus and Their Zoonotic Bacterial Carriage in Pakistani Cattle
This study reveals that *Rhipicephalus microplus* ticks infesting cattle in Punjab, Pakistan, frequently carry multiple zoonotic bacterial pathogens, particularly *Rickettsia massiliae*, *Anaplasma phagocytophilum*, and *Ehrlichia* species, with higher infection rates observed in female ticks and significant spatial variation for *Ehrlichia*.