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In this comprehensive review study, we addressed the challenge posed by ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) with growing incidence affecting human and animal health worldwide. Data and perspectives were collected from different countries and regions worldwide, including America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. The results updated the current situation with ticks and TBD and how it is perceived by society with information bias and gaps. The study reinforces the importance of multidisciplinary and international collaborations to advance in the surveillance, communication and proposed future directions to address these challenges.

Dataset S1: USDA and NIH online freely accessible information about TBD; Dataset S2: CDC online information on TBD surveillance; Dataset S3: Tick-borne pathogens identified in ticks from Central America; Dataset S4: Distribution of ticks and tick-borne pathogens worldwide.

Ticks (Ixodida) represent one of the most important vector groups affecting human and animal health, and in recent years there have been increasing concerns regarding the cause of tick-borne disease affecting Australians. Worldwide, wildlife health surveillance is recognised as a key tool for investigating tick-borne infections and a One Health approach is essential to understand the epidemiology of tick-associated microbes. Therefore, this research aimed to; i) identify ticks from Australian wildlife; ii) investigate bacteria and haemoprotozoa present in wildlife and ticks; and iii) characterise microbes and understand the interplay between host-microbetick. Molecular tools were used to assist in the identification of Australian ticks. Museum specimens of the human biting tick Amblyomma triguttatum were used to investigate the molecular systematics of this species complex. A set of molecular barcodes was developed for Australian ticks, which was important for the accurate identification of immature life stages and cryptic species. Additionally, a novel 12S rDNA metabarcoding assay was developed for high throughput identification of ticks. Free-ranging animals and their ticks were sampled from urban and periurban areas. The bacterial and haemoprotozoan diversity was characterised using a combination of amplicon high-throughput sequencing, targeted Sanger sequencing, and microscopy. Bacterial profiling generated over 100 million sequences. Statistical analysis using constrained ordination methods revealed blood, tick and tissues had distinct community signatures. A diverse range of tick associated microbes was identified, such as Anaplasmataceae, Bartonellaceae, Borreliaceae, Coxiellaceae, Midichloriaceae. Overall, these microbes were rare in wildlife hosts and generally confined to specific sample types. In addition, eight species of haemoprotozoa were identified, including species within the genera Babesia, Hepatozoon, Theileria and Trypanosoma. Lastly, this study

Background: The capture of male DNA, post-assault, is important in sexual assault investigation, particularly where an offender is unknown to the victim. The recovery of DNA often occurs when the female victim undergoes a forensic medical assessment. Analysis regularly results in mixed autosomal DNA profiles. As these results contain both victim and perpetrator DNA, they are often difficult to interpret a searchable male profile. While STR profiling of the male Y-chromosome is often used to overcome this, the successful identification of an individual can be hindered by the paternal inheritance pattern of Y-STRs. An adjunct method of perpetrator identification lies with microbiome analysis using massively parallel sequencing. Aims: This study aimed to identify ASVs that were unique to each participant and compare the bacterial communities found on the genitals pre- and post-coitus. From the sequence data derived, statistical analysis was performed to investigate if bacteria sequences could be used to infer contact between each male-female pairing. Content: Samples were collected from 14 male-female pairings across two recruitment cohorts. Volunteers were asked to self-collect samples pre- and post-coitus. Samples were extracted using PureLink™ Microbiome DNA Purification Kit. Extracted DNA underwent library preparation using primers targeting the V1-V9 hypervariable regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene (~1,449 bp). Libraries were sequenced by PacBio® SMRT Sequel II sequencing platform. Unique bacterial signatures were detected in low frequencies (<1%) in male and female participants pre-coitus. The data indicates a disruption to microbial composition post-coitus. Further genomic analysis is needed to confirm species and subspecies classification of bacteria.

Molecular methods have recently revealed novel organisms inhabiting native Australian ticks, some of which are potentially pathogenic due to their similarity to causes of known tick-borne diseases (TBDs) worldwide. Australian bandicoots (Order: Peramelemorphia) are hosts of ticks that are known to bite humans. The persistence of bandicoots in urban and peri-urban areas results in increased exposure of humans to bandicoot ticks, and the bacterial diversity of ticks parasitising bandicoots is therefore of public health interest and requires further investigation. This study analysed 290 ticks parasitising bandicoots from New South Wales (NSW; n = 125), Queensland (QLD; n = 26), Northern Territory (NT; n = 15), Tasmania (TAS; n = 80), and Western Australia (WA; n = 44). A total of seven tick species (Haemaphysalis bancrofti, H. humerosa, Ixodes australiensis, I. fecialis, I. holocyclus, I. myrmecobii and I. tasmani) were identified from four Australian bandicoot species; the eastern barred bandicoot (Perameles gunnii), the long-nosed bandicoot (P. nasuta), the northern brown bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus), and the southern brown bandicoot (I. obesulus). Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) targeting the ubiquitous bacterial 16S rRNA gene was applied to a sub-sample of ticks (n = 66). Analysis of sequence data revealed the presence of Anaplasma, Borrelia, Ehrlichia and ‘Ca. Neoehrlichia’. Anaplasma bovis was detected in two ticks (H. bancrofti and H. humerosa) from the same bandicoot in NSW. A likely novel Ehrlichia sp. was identified from a single I. fecialis tick in WA. In addition to the confirmation of the recently described ‘Ca. Neoehrlichia arcana’ and ‘Ca. N. australis’ inhabiting I. holocyclus and I. tasmani from NSW and QLD, a novel ‘Ca. Neoehrlichia’ species was detected in ticks (I. australiensis and I. fecialis) from WA. Furthermore, sequences 98.8% similar to ‘Ca. Borrelia tachyglossi’ provide the first molecular description of Borrelia inhabiting ticks (H. hume