Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases最新文献

{"title":"Association between tick-bite history and safety of gelatin-containing vaccines: Analysis of a large database of the United States","authors":"Chia-Yu Chiu ,&nbsp;Andrés F Henao-Martínez ,&nbsp;Nelson Iván Agudelo Higuita","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102532","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102532","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is an allergic reaction caused by sensitization to alpha-gal, a sugar molecule in gelatin-containing vaccines. Tick bites can induce alpha-gal IgE sensitization, as ticks inject alpha-gal through their saliva. However, there is no real-world data on the anaphylaxis rates associated with gelatin-containing vaccines in patients with tick bite history. We utilized TriNetX, a research network database, to analyze data in November 2024. The history of tick bites (i.e., the presence of a tick-bite history) was categorized into three groups: ehrlichiosis, tularemia, and bites from nonvenomous arthropods. Vaccines were classified into two categories: (1) gelatin-containing vaccines (live intranasal influenza [FluMist], varicella, measles/mumps/rubella [MMR], oral typhoid, rabies [RabAvert], and yellow fever vaccines [YF-VAX]) and (2) gelatin-free vaccines. Anaphylactic episodes were identified in patients with a history of tick bites who developed anaphylaxis within one day following vaccination. The anaphylaxis rates after receiving gelatin-containing vaccines were 0.06 %, 0.7 %, and 0.2 % in patients with ehrlichiosis, tularemia, and nonvenomous arthropod bites, respectively. In contrast, the anaphylaxis rates after receiving gelatin-free vaccines were 0.04 %, 0.0 %, and 0.1 % in patients with ehrlichiosis, tularemia, and nonvenomous arthropod bites, respectively. Among the gelatin-containing vaccines, live intranasal influenza and varicella vaccines posed a higher rate of anaphylaxis compared to other gelatin-containing vaccines. While tick bites are associated with AGS, a history of tick bites is not a contraindication for most gelatin-containing vaccines, including MMR, oral typhoid, rabies, and yellow fever vaccines. Further investigations are warranted to evaluate the safety of intranasal influenza and varicella vaccines in this population.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102532"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144769151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An update on Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. prevalence and hazard in ticks at recreational areas in England and Wales between 2021 and 2023","authors":"Sara L. Gandy ,&nbsp;Faye Brown ,&nbsp;Jonathan Yardley ,&nbsp;Nicola Jones ,&nbsp;Anthony Abbott ,&nbsp;Sarah Biddlecombe ,&nbsp;Colin Johnston ,&nbsp;Kayleigh Hansford ,&nbsp;Andrew Nelson ,&nbsp;Christopher Williams ,&nbsp;Jolyon M. Medlock","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102523","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102523","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Estimating tick-borne disease hazard in highly visited natural landscapes is essential for assessing public health risks. Lyme disease, caused by bacteria of the <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> sensu lato (s.l.) complex and transmitted by the tick <em>Ixodes ricinus</em> in Europe, is the most prevalent vector-borne disease. This study aimed to measure Lyme disease hazard across a range of recreational areas, building on previous research. From 2021 to 2023, 84 sites within 36 recreational areas across England and Wales were sampled. The density of questing <em>I. ricinus</em> nymphs was significantly higher in woodlands than in grasslands and significantly increased in the presence of deer. Tick density was significantly higher in the north and south of England compared to central England. The overall prevalence of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> s.l. in <em>I. ricinus</em> nymphs was 5.8 % [95 % CI: 5.1-6.6 %] (228/3914), with site-level prevalences ranging from 0 % to 30.4 %. The dominant genospecies was <em>B. garinii</em> (39 % of positive samples), followed by <em>B. valaisiana</em> (21.9 %), <em>B. afzelii</em> (15.4 %) and <em>B. burgdorferi</em> s.s. (3.1 %), which sets England and Wales apart from other European countries where <em>B. afzelii</em> typically dominates. The density of nymphs infected with <em>B. burgdorferi</em> s.l., which represents Lyme disease hazard, was significantly higher in the north and south of England compared to central England and Wales. Notably, the highest densities of infected nymphs were identified in Kielder Forest, Yorkshire Dales, Exmoor, Blackdown Hills and South Devon. We did not find any significant association between the density of infected nymphs and the presence of deer at the survey location.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102523"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144721583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A comparison of reverse line blot hybridization and IDEXX SNAP 4Dx® test in detecting canine anaplasmosis/ehrlichiosis in Trinidad","authors":"Ansarah Hosein ,&nbsp;Candice Sant ,&nbsp;Indira Pargass ,&nbsp;Gowrie Lalla ,&nbsp;Fatima Mohammed ,&nbsp;Karla Georges","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102517","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102517","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Ehrlichia canis</em> and <em>Anaplasma platys</em> are known to be among the most common tick-borne hemopathogens of dogs in Trinidad that are transmitted by ixodid ticks of the <em>Rhipicephalus sanguineus</em> sensu lato species complex<em>.</em> These pathogens are commonly diagnosed in Trinidad based on clinical signs, laboratory tests and response to treatment. However, as these hemopathogens are often not observed on microscopic examination of blood smears, alternative methods to provide a definitive diagnosis are warranted. The IDEXX SNAP 4Dx® test is used frequently by veterinarians in Trinidad to determine exposure status and inform decisions on whether a canine patient should be treated. This study investigated the use of the IDEXX SNAP 4Dx® test and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by a reverse line blot hybridization (RLB) assay on samples obtained from 231 dogs in order to determine if there was an acceptable level of agreement between the two tests. The study showed poor agreement between the IDEXX SNAP 4Dx® test and RLB.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102517"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144696720","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anaplasma marginale modulates the microbiota of Rhipicephalus microplus organs involved in pathogen transmission","authors":"Agustina E. Pérez ,&nbsp;Eliana C. Guillemi ,&nbsp;Lianet Abuin-Denis ,&nbsp;Elianne Piloto-Sardiñas ,&nbsp;Dasiel Obregon ,&nbsp;Natalia Pin Viso ,&nbsp;Néstor Sarmiento ,&nbsp;Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz ,&nbsp;Marisa D. Farber","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102522","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102522","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The cattle tick <em>Rhipicephalus microplus</em> is a vector for <em>Anaplasma marginale</em> in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. The study of pathogen-microbiome-vector interactions at the tick organ scale is a promising area of development, unraveling control strategies for tick-borne diseases. Our study focused on how <em>A. marginale</em> infection affects the bacterial community within the salivary glands and ovaries of <em>R. microplus</em>. Engorged female ticks collected from cattle in a disease-endemic area of Argentina were further classified based on whether they were infected with <em>A. marginale</em> by targeting the <em>msp1β</em> gene through PCR diagnosis in tissue samples. We included negative control samples throughout the study. We analyzed the bacterial communities in tick tissues by sequencing the <em>16S rRNA</em> V3-V4 region. Our results revealed significant differences in community composition between infected and uninfected samples. <em>Sphingomonadaceae</em> was identified as a predominant taxon in uninfected salivary glands and ovaries. Additionally, we constructed co-occurrence networks to study interactions within the microbial communities. It is noteworthy that <em>A. marginale</em> infection led to an increase in network complexity in the salivary glands, exerting the opposite effect on the ovaries. These findings reinforced the hypothesis that <em>A. marginale</em> impacts the microbiota of <em>R. microplus</em> at an organ-specific level.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102522"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144686099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hyalomma rufipes of Asian origin transported to Europe by a migrant bird","authors":"Attila D. Sándor ,&nbsp;Áron Péter ,&nbsp;Joanna B. Wong ,&nbsp;Reto Burri ,&nbsp;Sándor Hornok","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102518","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102518","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Hyalomma rufipes</em> is one of the most epidemiologically important ticks in Africa and the Middle East. It is regularly transported by migratory birds and there are chances that these ticks may become sources for the emergence of resident populations in the temperate region due to recent changes in climatic conditions. In May 2023, a <em>Hylomma</em> sp. nymph was collected in SE Romania from a long-distance migrant host, the Pied Wheatear (<em>Oenanthe pleschanka</em>) with known migratory route. The tick was identified morphologically and genetically as <em>H. rufipes</em> and based on the timing of the migratory track it attached to its avian host in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East. This is the first ever <em>H. rufipes</em> recorded in Europe with known Middle Eastern/Asian origin.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102518"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144678357","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A new hotspot of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in the Autonomous Province of Trento, Italy","authors":"Giulia Ferrari ,&nbsp;Fausta Rosso ,&nbsp;Matteo Girardi ,&nbsp;Francesca Dagostin ,&nbsp;Daniele Arnoldi ,&nbsp;Maria Grazia Zuccali ,&nbsp;Chiara Mocellin ,&nbsp;Silvia Molinaro ,&nbsp;Valentina Tagliapietra ,&nbsp;Annapaola Rizzoli","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102513","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102513","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) has expanded its distributional range in Europe over recent decades. Italy is considered a low tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) incidence country, nonetheless, human cases have recently increased, reaching their maximum so far in 2022. This study reports on a new TBE hotspot in the Autonomous Province of Trento (Italy), along with a description of TBEV genetic variants at the provincial level. Tick sampling was performed where several TBE human cases were reported in 2022. As a result, 458 <em>Ixodes ricinus</em> ticks were collected (38 females, 49 males, 371 nymphs) and screened for TBEV through real-time PCR, pooling the nymphs while analyzing the adults individually. Eight samples were found to be positive for TBEV, corresponding to a 4.6 % prevalence in adults and a 1.1 % minimum infection rate in nymphs in the area. The identified TBEV genetic variants were compared with other TBEV European subtype (TBEV-Eu) strains. The relatively high prevalence in ticks and the reported human cases beyond the year of vector collection suggest a sustained virus circulation. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis of the genetic variants in the Trentino Province shows a separation among eastern and western sites. This study highlights the crucial importance of active surveillance for mitigating TBE risk, especially in highly anthropized Alpine areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102513"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144662726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First record of Haemaphysalis concinna (Acari: Ixodidae) tick in the Khalkh Numrug basin of Eastern Mongolia","authors":"Banzragch Battur ,&nbsp;Batsaikhan Enkhtaivan ,&nbsp;Davaajav Otgonsuren ,&nbsp;Batbold Davkharbayar ,&nbsp;Dalantai Munkhgerel ,&nbsp;Tovuu Amgalanbaatar ,&nbsp;Sandagdorj Narantsatsral ,&nbsp;Batdorj Davaasuren ,&nbsp;Myagmar Zoljargal ,&nbsp;Punsantsogvoo Myagmarsuren ,&nbsp;Orkhon Banzragchgarav ,&nbsp;Noboru Inoue ,&nbsp;Naoaki Yokoyama ,&nbsp;Jinlin Zhou ,&nbsp;Miroslav Bobek ,&nbsp;Badgar Battsetseg","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102521","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102521","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Haemaphysalis</em> (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks remain poorly studied in Mongolia. Here, we report the first confirmed record of <em>Haemaphysalis concinna</em> Koch, 1844 in the Numrug Strictly Protected Area, Dornod Province, eastern Mongolia, based on both morphological characteristics and molecular analyses. This region lies along the Mongolia-China border within the forest-steppe and steppe zones of the western Greater Khingan Mountains. Tick sampling was conducted at six sites (lakeshores, riverbanks, and marshy forests) between early April and mid-August over a three-year period.</div><div>A total of 1014 <em>H concinna</em> specimens were collected, of which 148 (including two nymphs) were selected for DNA extraction. PCR amplifications targeting the mitochondrial 16S rRNA (∼455 bp) and <em>Cox1</em> (∼820 bp) genes were performed. Eight samples were sequenced, with three 16S and two <em>Cox1</em> sequences meeting quality thresholds. The sequences of both genes exhibited 99.8 % and 100 % identity, respectively, to <em>H. concinna</em> sequences from Russia (<em>Cox1</em>: PP851089.1, PP851095.1; 16S rRNA: KP866207.1) and China (<em>Cox1</em>: KR108863.1; 16S rRNA: ON097130.1) available in GenBank. This high level of sequence identity strongly supports the identification of the Mongolian samples as <em>H. concinna</em>. Species identification was further supported by morphological characteristics consistent with published descriptions of adult ticks. This record from the Khalkh Numrug basin represents the first verified occurrence of <em>H. concinna</em> in eastern Mongolia. These findings underscore the need for further research on the species’ ecology, host range, and potential public health significance in the region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102521"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144654506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"IxsS7: A novel biomarker for Ixodes scapularis tick bite exposure in humans","authors":"Patrick H. Kelly ,&nbsp;Derek A.T. Cummings ,&nbsp;Eva Iniguez ,&nbsp;Tiago Donatelli ,&nbsp;Luana Rogerio ,&nbsp;Jan Kotál ,&nbsp;Larissa Almeida Martins ,&nbsp;Markus Berger ,&nbsp;Lucas C Sousa-Paula ,&nbsp;Stephen Lu ,&nbsp;James H. Stark ,&nbsp;Siu-Ping Ng ,&nbsp;Adriana Marques ,&nbsp;Jesus G. Valenzuela ,&nbsp;Lucas Tirloni","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102514","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102514","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Ixodes scapularis</em> is a primary vector of several important tick-borne pathogens including <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> sensu lato, the causative bacterial genospecies complex of Lyme disease, <em>Babesia microti, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia miyamotoi, Ehrlichia muris eauclarensis,</em> and Powassan virus. Salivary compounds secreted by <em>I. scapularis</em> during blood feeding are immunogenic and can elicit robust antibody responses in humans which can potentially be leveraged as surrogate markers of prior tick bite exposure. In this study, we investigate the potential of a tick secreted salivary serine protease inhibitor, <em>Ixs</em>S7, as a novel antigenic biomarker of <em>I. scapularis</em> exposure in humans. We demonstrate that the <em>Ixs</em>S7 protein-coding sequence is highly conserved (&gt;90 % identity) among other important <em>Ixodes</em> species (e.g., <em>Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes persulcatus</em>, and <em>Ixodes pacificus</em>) and poorly conserved (&lt;50 % identity) with homologs from other tick genera, such as <em>Amblyomma</em> spp., <em>Dermacentor</em> spp., <em>Rhipicephalus</em> spp., and <em>Haemaphysalis</em> spp. Antibodies in sera from rabbits immunized with recombinant <em>Ixs</em>S7 (r<em>Ixs</em>S7) strongly recognize native <em>Ixs</em>S7 when challenged with salivary gland homogenate (SGH) from blood-fed <em>I. scapularis</em> females, while showing minimal cross-reactivity with SGH from other hard tick (Ixodidae) genera. Western blot and ELISA analyses revealed that human subjects who reported recent prior exposure to ticks possessed IgG antibodies that recognized r<em>Ixs</em>S7, highlighting its potential as a biomarker of exposure specifically against <em>I. scapularis.</em> Further development of serological tools that can measure human antibody responses to <em>Ixodes</em>-specific salivary antigens is essential to better quantify individual- and population-level risk of important tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 4","pages":"Article 102514"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144588743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Living with ticks: Results of an online survey of the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding ticks and tick-borne pathogens in academic environments across Europe","authors":"Agustín Estrada-Peña ,&nbsp;Sandra Antunes ,&nbsp;Ana Domingos ,&nbsp;Helen Esser ,&nbsp;Gábor Földvári ,&nbsp;Hans-Peter Fuehrer ,&nbsp;Aysen Gargili ,&nbsp;Mats van Gestel ,&nbsp;Giulio Grandi ,&nbsp;Maria Kazimirova ,&nbsp;Dorota Kiewra ,&nbsp;Tero Klemola ,&nbsp;Lene Jung Kjær ,&nbsp;Vivian Kjelland ,&nbsp;Katarzyna Kubiak ,&nbsp;Daniele de Meneghi ,&nbsp;Andrei Daniel Mihalca ,&nbsp;Sarah Moutailler ,&nbsp;Aleksandar Potkonjak ,&nbsp;Pavel Prokop ,&nbsp;Annetta Zintl","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102515","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102515","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We prepared a digital questionnaire to capture knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in 20 languages. The questionnaire was distributed to 21 universities and research institutions in 22 European countries and 9401 valid responses were collected. Most survey participants identified ticks correctly and regarded ticks as a serious health risk. There was also a good level of knowledge regarding tick activity, habitats and the predominant TBPs in the country or region. Moreover, most respondents were familiar with effective tick protection and removal measures. Over 75 % of respondents had been bitten by ticks and up to 12 % of participants had been diagnosed with a tick-borne infection in the past. Respondents from northern and central European countries who reported engaging in outdoor activities more frequently, reported increased frequencies of tick bites and infection with TBPs compared to respondents from southern Europe. Awareness of national information campaigns on ticks and TBPs was also greater among respondents from northern and central European countries than among Mediterranean countries.</div><div>This study identified knowledge gaps among respondents from some European countries where TBPs have not been prioritised historically. These knowledge gaps should be addressed by reputable bodies to encourage personal protective behaviours without causing alarm and to forestall the spreading of incorrect and unreliable information propagated by some social media sources.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 4","pages":"Article 102515"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144581412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Novel variants of tick-borne encephalitis virus from patient and tick samples in Norway","authors":"Urusha Maharjan ,&nbsp;Hilde Kristin Skudal ,&nbsp;Naveed Asghar ,&nbsp;Arnulf Soleng ,&nbsp;Magnus Johansson ,&nbsp;Heidi Elisabeth Heggen Lindstedt ,&nbsp;Anita Koskela von Sydow ,&nbsp;John H.-O. Pettersson ,&nbsp;Wenche Johansen ,&nbsp;Børre Fevang ,&nbsp;Randi Bjerkreim ,&nbsp;Suyog Basnet ,&nbsp;Rose Vikse ,&nbsp;Åshild K. Andreassen ,&nbsp;Kristian Alfsnes","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102501","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102501","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The annual number of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) cases in Norway has increased dramatically from 1 case in 1998 to 113 in 2023<em>.</em> Characterization of TBE virus (TBEV) genomes from both clinical samples and tick vectors is necessary to understand disease severity and transmission dynamics. However, clinical samples with intact virus are rare because TBE is usually diagnosed by serology in the post-viremic phase, when the viral load is low and undetectable by molecular methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR). To date, Mandal-2009 is the only TBEV sequence from Norway with complete virus genome, sequenced directly from the tick vector. We used a combined approach with newly designed overlapping primer pairs and nanopore sequencing together with Sanger sequencing to obtain nearly complete TBEV genomes from both patient and tick samples from Norway. The patient had severe TBE complicated with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). The patient and tick samples were collected 16 km apart, from Telemark and Vestfold Counties, respectively. Pairwise genomic comparison showed 99.7 % identity, and phylogenetic analysis revealed that these sequences were closely related to the TBEV strain from Kumlinge in Åland, Finland, rather than to the previously published Norwegian variant Mandal-2009. These findings confirm the existence of novel TBEV variants in the endemic areas of Telemark and Vestfold Counties of Norway. Our findings highlight the need for continuous monitoring and characterization of novel TBEV genomes in Norway and Europe.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 4","pages":"Article 102501"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144571593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}