Table 1. Sequences of qPCR primers used to investigate the presence of pathogens’ DNA in the E. mucronatus samples. F: forward primer, R: reverse primer, P: qPCR probe.

Target organism	Target gene	Primer’s name	Sequence (5’-3’)
Bartonella spp.	Intergenic spacer	IT2_F	GGGGCCGTAGCTCAGCTG
		ITS2_R	TGAATATATCTTCTCTTCACAATTTC
		ITS2_P	6FAM-CGATCCCGTCCGGCTCCACCA
Rickettsia spp.	gltA	gltA_F	GTGAATGAAAGATTACACTATTTAT
		gltA_R	GTATCTTAGCAATCATTCTAATAGC
		gltA_P	6FAM-CTATTATGCTTGCGGCTGTCGGTTC
Coxiella burnetii	IS30A	ITS30A_F	CGCTGACCTACAGAAATATGTCC
		ITS30A_R	GGGGTAAGTAAATAATACCTTCTGG
		ITS30A_P	6FAM-CATGAAGCGATTTATCAATACGTGTATGC
Borrelia spp.	16S	16S_F	AGCCTTTAAAGCTTCGCTTGTAG
		16S_R	GCCTCCCGTAGGAGTCTGG
		16S_P	6FAM- CCGGCCTGAGAGGGTGAACGG
Anaplasmataceae	23S	23S_F	TGACAGCGTACCTTTTGCAT
		23S_R	GTAACAGGTTCGGTCCTCCA
		23S_P	6FAM- GGATTAGACCCGAAACCAAG