Table 1 Primers and probes used in tick species determination and pathogen screening

 Bbsl-ospA-F

B. burgdorferi ospA

AATATTTATTGGGAATAGGTCTAA

59

[83]

 Bbsl-ospA-R

CACCAGGCAAATCTACTGA

 Bbsl-ospA-P

[6FAM]-TTAATAGCATGTAAGCAAAATGTTAGCA-[DDQ1]

 IXO-I2-F4

Ixodes spp. ITS2

TCTCGTGGCGTTGATTTGC

64

[27]

 IXO-I2-R4

Ixodes spp. ITS2

CTGACGGAAGGCTACGACG

 Ipe-I2-P4

I. persulcatus ITS2

[FAM]-TGCGTGGAAAGAAAACGAG-[BHQ1]

 Iri-I2-P4

I. ricinus ITS2

[VIC]-TGCTCGAAGGAGAGAACGA-[BHQ1]

 Rspp-F

Rickettsia spp. gltA

GAGAGAAAATTATATCCAAATGTTGAT

100

[84]

 Rspp-R

AGGGTCTTCGTGCATTTCTT

 Rspp-P

[Cy5]-CATTGTGCCATCCAGCCTACGGT-[BHQ3]

 Bab18S-F

Babesia spp. 18S rRNA

CAGCTTGACGGTAGGGTATTGG

20

[85]

 Bab18S-R

TCGAACCCTAATTCCCCGTTA

 Bab18S-P

[HEX]-CGAGGCAGCAACGG-[BHQ1]

 ApMSP2-F

Anaplasma spp. Msp2

ATGGAAGGTAGTGTTGGTTATGGTATT

30

[86]

 ApMSP2-R

TTGGTCTTGAAGCGCTCGTA

 ApMSP-P

[CY5]-TGGTGCCAGGGTTGAGCTTGAGATTG-[BBQ650]

 CNeGroEL-F

“Ca. Neoehrlichia mikurensis” GroEL

CCTTGAAAATATAGCAAGATCAGGTAG

47

[87]

 CNeGroEL-R

CCACCACGTAACTTATTTAGCACTAAAG

 CNeGroEL-P

[FAM]-CCTCTACTAATTATTGCWGAAGATGTAGAAGG TGAAGC-[BHQ1]

 BartssRA-F

Bartonella spp. ssrA

GCTATGGTAATAAATGGACAATGAAATAA

255

[88]

 BartssRA-R

GCTTCTGTTGCCAGGTG

 BartssRA-P

[FAM]-ACCCCGCTTAAACCTGCGACG-[BHQ1]

 Ftu23-F

F. tularensis 23 Kda

TGAGATGATAACAAGACAACAGGTAAC

30

[89]

 Ftu23-R

GGATGAGATCCTATACATGCAGTAGGA

 Ftu23-P

[FAM]-CCATTCATGTGAGAACTG-[BHQ1]

 B5Sborseq-F

Borrelia IGS

GAGTTCGCGGGAGAGTAGGTTATTGCC

[28]

 23Sborseq-R

TCAGGGTACTTAGATGGTTCACTTCC

 CS877-F

Rickettsia spp. gltA

GGGGACCTGCTCACGGCGG

381

[90]

 CS1258-R

ATTGCAAAAAGTACAGTGAACA

 Ana2-F

Anaplasma spp. 16S rRNA

CAAGCTTAACACATGCAAGTCGAAC

894

[91]

 Ana2-R

CCCTTCCGTTAAGAAGGATCTAATC

 BabNu2-F

Babesia spp. 18S

GACACAGGGAGGTAGTGACAAG

357

[92]

 BabNu2-R

CTAAGAATTTCACCTCTGACAGT