Tick-borne pathogens in golden jackals (Canis aureus) from Armenia.

BACKGROUND: Golden jackals (Canis aureus) are expanding their range across Europe and Western Asia, frequently inhabiting agricultural and peri-urban areas where they interface with humans and domestic animals. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess their potential role as reservoirs for tick-borne pathogens in Armenia, Transcaucasia. METHODS: Between August 2024 and March 2026, blood samples were collected from 77 golden jackals across six administrative regions of Armenia (Lori, Tavush, Armavir, Ararat, Vayots Dzor, and Syunik). PCR followed by reverse line blot (RLB) hybridization was employed to simultaneously screen for bacterial and protistan pathogens, including Anaplasma, Borrelia, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia, and Babesia and Theileria species, respectively. RESULTS: Six zoonotic pathogens were detected: Rickettsia helvetica (16.9%), Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (3.9%), Babesia canis (3.9%), Rickettsia raoultii (2.6%), Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis (2.6%), and Borrelia afzelii (1.3%). Co-infections were detected in 7.8% of all samples (35.3% of pathogen-positive samples), including one triple co-infection with R. helvetica, B. burgdorferi s.s., and Ca. N. mikurensis. Statistically significant associations were observed between R. helvetica and B. burgdorferi s.s. (rtet = 0.915) and between R. helvetica and R. raoultii (rtet = 0.878). Rickettsia helvetica prevalence was significantly higher in females than in males (27.8% vs 7.3%; p = 0.030). Age-related trends suggested higher overall infection rates in adults (32.3%) compared to juveniles (15.2%; p = 0.097). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first molecular evidence of tick-borne pathogens in golden jackals from Transcaucasia, highlighting them as potential reservoir hosts for zoonotic pathogens with One Health significance.