Ticks & Their Microbes in El Salvador: New Findings

El Salvador hides a rich variety of ticks on its lands. From 2019 to 2021, researchers have found 216 ticks on dogs, wild animals, and even in the environment. These ticks aren't just any ticks; they're from 11 different species! Some of these include the Amblyomma species like dissimile and mixtum, and even the intriguing Ixodes boliviensis and Ornithodoros puertoricensis. Not only that, but three of these tick species carry microbes called Rickettsia – like R. rhipicephali in Dermacentor panamensis and R. amblyommatis in Amblyomma cf. parvum. This discovery adds five brand new tick species to El Salvador's record, and two new microbes associated with ticks. So, now El Salvador is home to 17 types of ticks, with 13 belonging to the Ixodidae family and 4 to the Argasidae family. Isn't it fascinating to see how critical these tiny creatures are to our ecosystem?