The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang) borders eight countries and has a complex geographic environment. There are almost 45.696 million herded sheep in Xinjiang, which occupies 13.80% of China’s sheep farming industry. However, there is a scarcity of reports investigating the role of sheep or ticks in Xinjiang in transmitting tick-borne diseases (TBDs). A total of 894 ticks (298 tick pools) were collected from sheep in southern Xinjiang. Out of the 298 tick pools investigated in this study, Rhipicephalus turanicus (Rh. turanicus) and Hyalomma anatolicum (H. anatolicum) were identified through morphological and molecular sequencing. In the southern part of Xinjiang, 142 (47.65%), 86 (28.86%), and 60 (20.13%) tick pools were positive for Rickettsia spp., Theileria spp., and Anaplasma spp., respectively. Interestingly, the infection rate of Rickettsia spp. (73%, 35.10%, and 28.56–41.64%) was higher in Rh. turanicus pools than in H. anatolicum pools (4%, 4.44%, and 0.10–8.79%) in this study. Fifty-one tick pools were found to harbor two pathogens, while nineteen tick pools were detected to have the three pathogens. Our findings indicate the presence of Rickettsia spp., Theileria spp., and Anaplasma spp. potentially transmitted by H. anatolicum and Rh. turanicus in sheep in southern Xinjiang, China.

Porcine bocavirus (PBoV), classified within the genus Bocaparvovirus, has been reported worldwide. PBoV has been divided into group 1, group 2, and group 3. PBoV group 3 (G3) viruses are the most prevalent in China. Currently, effective serological methods for the detection of antibodies against PBoV G3 are limited. In this study, we developed an indirect ELISA using a synthetic VP1 peptide designed on the basis of the conserved region of the PBoV VP1 protein as a coating antigen. Through matrix titration, the optimal coating concentration of the VP1 peptide (0.5 μg/mL), serum dilution (1:200), and working concentration of the secondary antibody (1:50,000) were determined. The cutoff value of this developed ELISA was set as 0.4239. Further investigations revealed that this developed ELISA had no cross-reactivity with positive serum antibodies against FMDV-O, FMDV-A, PRV, ASFV, SF, PCV2, PEDV, and TGEV. The detection limit of the method was a 1:1600 dilution of standard positive serum against PBoV G3. The coefficients of variation for both the intra- and interassay data were lower than 10%. A total of 1373 serum samples collected from 12 provinces in China between 2022 and 2023 were subjected to indirect ELISA. The results showed that 47.56% of the samples were PBoV G3 positive. These results reveal that peptide-based ELISA is a reliable and cost-effective method for detecting PBoV G3 antibodies. It also facilitates the investigation of the prevalence and distribution of PBoV G3.

Benzimidazole (BZ) resistance in Haemonchus contortus constrains sheep production worldwide. Northwestern Xinjiang is an important livestock region, yet a parallel comparison of isotype-1 β-tubulin genotypes at the three canonical BZ-resistance loci has not been reported for Yining and Tacheng. Between July and August 2025, 148 adult male worms (77 from Yining and 71 from Tacheng) were collected from sheep processed at local abattoirs. Adult males were identified morphologically by the asymmetrical dorsal ray and the organisation of the bursal rays; females showed a barber-pole appearance. No other abomasal nematode species were observed in the examined material. Species identity of the 148 genotyped males was confirmed by ITS-2 PCR, with Sanger sequencing of 22 amplicons. Remaining males were identified by morphology only and were not subjected to molecular identification. A fragment of the isotype-1 β-tubulin gene spanning codons 167, 198 and 200 was amplified and Sanger-sequenced. Genotypes were coded SS, rS and rr. F167Y was absent from all worms. The two samples differed at E198A and F200Y. The Tacheng sample contained only heterozygous (rS) genotypes at these codons, with substitution-allele frequencies of 11.3% (E198A) and 13.4% (F200Y); SS genotypes predominated. The Yining sample contained rr genotypes at both codons, with higher substitution-allele frequencies (44.8% for E198A and 20.1% for F200Y) and more frequent co-occurrence of non-SS genotypes at the two codons. These findings provide a side-by-side molecular comparison of the two areas. Because sampling was abattoir-based, phenotypic assays were not performed, and individual treatment histories were unavailable, the results should not be read as confirmed clinical resistance or as a basis for region-specific drug protocols. They provide a baseline for further surveillance and for field efficacy testing of benzimidazoles in northern Xinjiang.

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) is a key pathogen causing calf diarrhea and bovine respiratory diseases, bringing sustained economic losses to the cattle industry. As an RNA virus, BCoV possesses high mutation and recombination capacities, leading to prominent genomic genetic diversity. The genome contains hypervariable and conserved regions, with the S (especially S1), HE and Open Reading Frame (ORF4) genes serving as major variation hotspots linked to viral antigenicity, tissue tropism shift and immune evasion. Host immune pressure drives strong positive selection on S protein antigenic variation. This review discusses existing research limitations and proposes future directions including genomic surveillance, reverse genetics verification and broad-spectrum vaccine development to support BCoV prevention and control.

Chinese Cordyceps (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) and Xinjiang Cordyceps (Paraisaria gracilis) are related entomopathogenic fungi that occupy different elevations and habitats. Whether their holobiont architectures have diverged accordingly is unknown. In this hypothesis-generating study based on samples from single locations (Altai Mountains for Xinjiang Cordyceps and Nagqu, Tibet for Chinese Cordyceps), we compared the two species using amplicon sequencing, untargeted metabolomics, and comparative genomics. Chinese Cordyceps from the sampled site comprises a specialized parasitic fungus and host-adapted bacteria for nutrient acquisition. Xinjiang Cordyceps from the Altai site contains diverse saprotrophic fungi and a rhizosphere-like bacterial consortium enriched in oxidative defense and biofilm genes, a finding that may explain why its sclerotia remain intact for 3–5 years in this population. Metabolomic profiles distinguish the two species at these sites. Xinjiang Cordyceps shows upregulation of tyrosine and porphyrin pathways, and its bacterial community shows functional enrichment in the same pathways, suggesting cross-kingdom coordination. P. gracilis has lost many gene families, and the retained species-specific genes are linked to cell adhesion and acyltransferase activity. Xinjiang Cordyceps is not a simple substitute for Chinese Cordyceps but appears to represent a different ecological strategy shaped by genome streamlining and host–microbe coadaptation. Our findings generate testable hypotheses for future large-scale, multi-population investigations.

The present study was designed to assess the impact of Alhagi honey small-molecule sugars (AHAS) on Hu lambs. Therefore, in this study, AHAS low-dose (AHAS-L, 200 mg/ kg per day), AHAS medium-dose (AHAS-M, 400 mg/kg per day), and AHAS high-dose (AHAS-H, 800 mg/kg per day) were administered to Hu lambs to investigate the regulatory effects of AHAS on growth performance, oxidation index, immune system enhancement, and intestinal microbiota. The results showed that lambs in the AHAS-H group exhibited significantly increased in average daily weight gain, and growth performance compared to those in the control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, AHAS-H supplementation resulted in increased levels of serum antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GSH-Px, and T-AOC), serum antibodies (IgA, IgG, and IgM), and cytokines (IL-4, 10,17, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Additionally, it increased the quantity and richness of beneficial bacteria at such as Sphingomonas, Ralstonia, and Flavobacterium, activating various metabolic pathways and promoting the production of various short-chain fatty acids. In summary, our findings highlight the potential of AHAS-H treatment in enhancing intestinal health of lambs by improving intestinal function, immunity, and related metabolic pathways. Consequently, these results suggest that AHAS holds promising potential as a valuable intervention for optimizing growth performance and intestinal health in lambs.