A One Health Assessment of Tick and Tick‐Borne Pathogen Diversity and Zoonotic Risk in Hubei Province, Central China

Ticks and tick‐borne pathogens (TBPs) threaten livestock productivity and public health worldwide, and climate–land‐use change is expanding vector habitats, elevating tick‐borne disease risk. However, TBP diversity and risk in Hubei Province, central China, remain insufficiently defined within a One Health framework. We conducted a province‐wide, multiple ecoregion survey sampling questing ticks, ticks parasitizing cattle and sheep, and host blood. Tick species were identified by morphology and 16S rRNA sequencing. DNA from ticks and blood was screened using PCR and sequencing for bacterial and protozoan TBPs, including Rickettsia , Anaplasma , Ehrlichia , Borrelia , Babesia , and Theileria . We collected 1648 ticks representing 10 species in three genera, dominated by Rhipicephalus microplus (56.92%) and Haemaphysalis longicornis (37.93%). Diverse TBPs were detected in vectors and hosts, including zoonotic agents such as Anaplasma phagocytophilum , A. capra , A. ovis , Rickettsia monacensis , R. helvetica , and R. aeschlimannii . Several tick species and pathogens were recorded in Hubei for the first time. Coinfections were common (3.58% of ticks and 36.24% of hosts), most frequently Anaplasma with Theileria . Multivariable logistic regression identified geographic location, season, grazing practices, and host type as independent predictors of pathogen prevalence. Phylogenetic analyses revealed novel genotypes and cross‐regional clustering, suggesting pathogen movement and the possible emergence of new variants. These findings indicate that central China is an emerging hotspot for diverse, cocirculating TBPs with zoonotic potential and underscore the need for risk‐based, cross‐sector surveillance and integrated tick control at the animal–human–environment interface.