New Bartonella Research from Chungbuk National University Outlined (16S rRNA metabarcoding for the identification of tick-borne bacteria in ticks in the Republic of Korea).

A recent study conducted by researchers at Chungbuk National University in Korea aimed to assess the presence of tick-borne bacteria in ticks using 16S rRNA metabarcoding and PCR. The study collected ticks from four provinces in Korea and identified five tick species. Through 16S rRNA metabarcoding, the researchers identified various bacteria, including Rickettsia, Wolbachia, and Ehrlichia, but did not detect Bartonella. The results were confirmed by PCR, and the researchers concluded that large-scale screening studies using pooling techniques can be useful for identifying novel or rare pathogens in hosts and vectors. [Extracted from the article]