Table 1 Selected bacterial taxa of public health importance, potential symbionts, and other prevalent OTUs detected in individual and pooled chiggers in comparison to soils and background controls

 Bacillus cereus (4463224)

4(3.67)

31(47.69)

11(61.11)

–

 Borrelia (New.ReferenceOTU7)

1(0.92)

32(49.23)

–

–

 Campylobacter (New.CleanUp.ReferenceOTU30)

–

3(4.62)

–

–

 Clostridium (New.ReferenceOTU2470)

–

6(9.23)

–

–

 Corynebacterium (13485)

7(6.42)

65(100)

–

2(13.33)

 Fusobacterium (2438396)

1(0.92)

6(9.23)

–

–

 Haemophilus parainfluenzae (4473129)

8(7.34)

17(26.15)

–

1(6.67)

 Moraxella (1127280)

–

4(6.15)

–

–

 Mycobacterium (4448095)

13(11.93)

48(73.85)

18(100)

–

 Nocardia (102163)

5(4.58)

35(53.84)

1(5.55)

–

 Orientia tsutsugamushi (301131)

3(2.75)

13(20)

–

–

 Staphylococcus (4446058)

67(61.47)

65(100)

3(16.66)

6(40)

 Candidatus Cardinium (New.ReferenceOTU10)

2(1.83)

18(27.69)

–

–

 Neisseriaceae (933546)

18(16.51)

62(95.38)

5(27.78)

4(26.67)

 Rickettsiella (8028)

2(1.83)

12(18.46)

–

–

 Wolbachia (New.ReferenceOTU2936)

–

2(3.08)

–

–

 Acinetobacter rhizosphaerae (4334053)

4(3.67)

33(50.77)

–

–

 Brevibacillus (3307468)

61(55.96)

–

–

–

 Burkholderia bryophila (4320353)

38(34.86)

2(3.07)

–

–

 Geobacillus (New.ReferenceOTU5884)

82(75.23)

–

–

–

 Nevskia (516554)

27(24.77)

3(4.61)

7(38.88)

–

 Sphingobacterium multivorum (4423201)

44(40.36)

15(23.07)

–

1(6.67)

 Sphingobium (4393057)

82(75.23)

11(16.92)

1(5.55)

–

 Streptomyces (821185)

2(1.83)

13(20)

1(5.55)

–

 Methylobacterium adhaesivum (4303249)

11(10.09)

12(18.46)

–

–