Molecular evidence of zoonotic bacterial pathogens in hard ticks collected from stray cats in the Jerusalem district, Israel

Ticks are known to harbor a great diversity of bacterial agents with potential human and animal health implications. This study investigated the occurrence of Rickettsia and Bartonella spp. in ticks collected from stray cats in the Jerusalem District. Between March 2021 and October 2024, 5002 stray cats were examined, and 330 ticks were collected from 165 infested individuals (3.3%). Three tick species were detected, Rhipicephalus turanicus (n = 224), Haemaphysalis adleri (n = 99), and Rhipicephalus rutilus (n = 7). Rickettsia massiliae-DNA was detected in 31% of the ticks. Moreover, Bartonella-DNA was detected in 3.3% of the ticks, including the two zoonotic species, Bartonella henselae and Bartonella koehlerae. Co-infections with R. massiliae and B. henselae occurred in 3 of the 330 samples (0.9%). No Rickettsia felis-DNA was detected in any of the tick samples. These findings uncover the circulation of R. massiliae, B. henselae and B. koehlerae among ticks from stray cats in the Jerusalem district and highlight the potential zoonotic risks in this densely populated and touristic region.