Arthropod-borne diseases pose significant health risks for humans and animals. Ticks and deer keds are notable blood-sucking arthropods known to transmit various pathogens, including suspected carriers of different Bartonella species. These bacteria can infect numerous animal species and cause diverse, sometimes severe, illnesses in humans. B. henselae, a common pathogen, is believed to be transmitted by ticks, while B. schoenbuchensis is thought to be spread by deer keds, potentially causing dermatitis and febrile diseases in humans. In this study, B. henselae DNA was detected in eleven Ixodes ricinus ticks removed from a cat, which also tested positive for anti-B. henselae IgG antibodies. Ten additional ticks collected seven months later also contained B. henselae DNA. Attempts to culture B. henselae from the cat's blood were unsuccessful. To assess the distribution of various pathogens, particularly Bartonella spp., in domestic and wild animals and their ectoparasites in Hesse, microbiome analyses and infection status determinations were conducted. A total of 189 ticks from 163 animals were collected. Selected ticks underwent next-generation sequencing and confirmation PCR. Blood samples from 48 wild animals were tested for pathogens, while sera from 54 dogs, one cat, and 11 dog owners were analyzed for antibodies. Bartonella spp. DNA was found in 9.5% of ticks and in the blood of 17 deer. The study also identified human an
