A survey of bacterial diversity in ticks, lice and fleas from Australia

We isolated bacteria from ticks, lice and fleas. Partial small subunit rRNA sequences were obtained for each isolate and the closest matches in the FastA database were determined. These bacteria were mostly Gram-positive (Firmicutes), although representatives from the Proteobacteria (alpha, beta, gamma subdivisions) and CFB group were also isolated. Most of the isolates we found were from genera that were present in most of the ectoparasites studied, but a few genera were restricted to one species of ectoparasite. The most commonly isolated genera were Stenotrophomonas, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter and Bacillus. Species of Bacillus and Proteus, which have biopesticide potential, were found in some of these ectoparasites. Overall, the communities of bacteria were similar to those found in other studies of parasitic arthropods.