Blocking primer improves detection of tick-borne pathogens in Ixodes scapularis (black-legged ticks) from a Lyme disease hotspot region in eastern Ontario, Canada.
Sreevatshan K Srinivasan, Sima Afsharnezhad, Amber R. Paulson, Damian C Bourne, Zhengxin Sun, Lisa Carver, Jad Tirani, Henry Wong, Calvin Sjaarda, Shu He, Prameet M. Sheth, Robert I. Colautti
The paper introduces a blocking primer to improve detection of tick-borne pathogens in Ixodes scapularis ticks using 16S rRNA metabarcoding, achieving sensitivity comparable to qPCR and detecting additional pathogens.
bioRxiv · Aug 21, 2026 · PreprintGenomics