Rapid Spread of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus by Parthenogenetic Asian Longhorned Ticks

Zhang, Xing; Zhao, Chaoyue; Cheng, Chaoyuan; Zhang, Guogang; Yu, Tao; Lawrence, K.E.; Li, Hongyue; Sun, Jimin; Yang, Zeyu; Ye, Ling; Chu, Hongliang; Wang, Ying; Han, Xiaohu; Yong-chao, Jia; Fan, S.; Kanuka, Hirotaka; Tanaka, Tetsuya; Jenkins, Cheryl; Gedye, Kristene; Chandra, Shona; Price, Dana C.; Liu, Qiyong; Choi, Young Ki; Zhan, Xiangjiang; Zhang, Zhibin; Zheng, Aihua

doi:10.3201/eid2802.211532

Cited by 38 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Similar to the results of previous studies [ 16 , 18 – 20 , 26 , 27 ], most SFTS cases occurred from April to October. The seasonal distribution of SFTS cases might relate to tick dynamics [ 28 – 30 ]. Ticks were reported as the carriers and vector host of SFTSV, of which H. longicornis were the predominant population carrying SFTSV [ 11 , 31 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatiotemporal analysis of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in Shandong Province, China, 2014–2018

Wang

Pang

et al. 2022

BMC Public Health

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Background Due to recent emergence, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is becoming one of the major public health problems in Shandong Province, China. The numbers of reported SFTS cases in general and the area with reported SFTS cases are both continuously increasing in recent years. However, spatiotemporal patterns and clusters of SFTS in Shandong Province have not been investigated yet. Methods The surveillance data of SFTS in Shandong Province, China, during 2014–2018 were extracted from China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention (CISDCP). Geoda software was used to explore spatial autocorrelation analysis, and Satscan software was used to identify spatio-temporal clustering of cases. The results were presented in ArcMap. Results The annual average incidence was 0.567/100,000 in Shandong Province during 2014–2018. Results showed that the distribution of SFTS was not random but clustered in space and time. A most likely cluster including 15 counties was observed in the northeastern region of Shandong Province from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015 (Relative risk = 5.13, Log likelihood ratio = 361.266, P < 0.001). Conclusions The number of SFTS cases in Shandong Province increased overall. Geographic information system analysis coupled with spatial analysis illustrated regions with SFTS clusters. Our results provide a sound evidence base for future prevention and control programs of SFTS such as allocation of the health resources, surveillance in high-risk regions, health education, improvement of diagnosis and so on.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatiotemporal analysis of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in Shandong Province, China, 2014–2018

Wang

Pang

et al. 2022

BMC Public Health

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“…To investigate the potential natural circulation of SFTSV in the urban setting, we carried out field surveys on small mammals and parasitic ticks at two locations in Beijing City in 2021, one small park surrounded by up-market gated communities in Shunyi District and the Olympic Forest Park in Chaoyang District, where parthenogenetic H. longicornis ticks were discovered in a previous survey in 2019 (Fig. 6A)(X. Zhang et al, 2022).…”

Section: The Susceptibility Of Hedgehogs To Experimental Infection With Sftsvmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(B) Phylogenetic analysis of the parthenogenetic population of Asian long-horned ticks. Maximum likelihood tree was established with the mitochondrial genomes of H. longicornis collected in Chaoyang District and Shunyi District (Chaoyang DistrictP2, accession number, OL335942 and ShunyiDistriceP1 accession number, OL335941) (red) and from SFTS endemic areas(X. Zhang et al, 2022).…”

Section: The Susceptibility Of Hedgehogs To Experimental Infection With Sftsvmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hedgehogs are the major amplifying hosts of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus

Zheng

Jiang

Zhao

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a tick-borne bandavirus mainly transmitted by Haemaphysalis longicornis in East Asia, mostly in rural areas. To date, the wild host involved in the natural transmission of SFTSV remains unidentified. Our epidemiological field survey conducted in endemic areas in China showed that hedgehogs were widely distributed, had heavy tick infestations, and had high SFTSV seroprevalence and RNA prevalence. After experimental infection of Erinaceus amurensis and Atelerix albiventris hedgehogs with SFTSV, a robust but transitory viremia was detected, which lasted for around nine days. The infected hedgehogs experienced light weight loss and histopathology of the spleen showed hemorrhagic necrosis and lymphopenia, with infected hedgehogs recovering after viral clearance. Remarkably, SFTSV transmission cycle between hedgehogs and nymph/adult H. longicornis was easily accomplished under laboratory condition with 100% efficiency. Furthermore, naïve H. longicornis ticks could be infected by SFTSV-positive ticks co-feeding on naïve hedgehogs, with transstadial transmission of SFTSV also confirmed. We also found that SFTSV viremia remained high in hedgehogs during hibernation, suggesting that this mechanism might contribute to the persistence of SFTSV from one year to the next. Of concern, we recently found evidence of the natural circulation of SFTSV in the urban area of Beijing City in China involving H. longicornis ticks and E. amurensis hedgehogs. Our study suggests that the hedgehogs are the major wildlife amplifying hosts of SFTSV and that urban outbreaks of SFTSV may occur in the future.

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“…The parthenogenetic reproductive ability of H. longicornis allows a single female tick to reproduce asexually without fertilization of her embryos. Comparisons of bisexual and parthenogenetic tick populations have suggested that parthenogenetic ticks have a higher dispersal capacity in nature than their bisexual counterparts, and this dispersion can be facilitated by migratory birds (Zhang et al, 2022). H. longicornis is adaptable to a wide range of climates across its native and invasive ranges, including seasonal climates.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Horizontal and Vertical Transmission of Powassan Virus by the Invasive Asian Longhorned Tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, Under Laboratory Conditions

Raney

Herslebs

Langohr

et al. 2022

Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.

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The Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, is an ixodid tick native to East Asia that was first detected in North America outside a port of entry in 2017. This invasive species has since been detected in 17 states. As the invasive range of the tick continues to expand, the vector competence of H. longicornis for pathogens native to North America must be assessed. Here, we evaluate the vector competence of H. longicornis for Powassan virus (POWV) under laboratory conditions. POWV is a North American tick-borne flavivirus that is typically transmitted through the bite of Ixodes species ticks. The invasive range of H. longicornis is expected to overlap heavily with the geographic range of Ixodes scapularis and POWV cases, highlighting the potential for this invasive tick species to amplify POWV transmission in natural foci should the native tick vectors and H. longicornis share similar hosts. In these studies, adult female H. longicornis ticks were infected with POWV via anal pore microinjection. Viral RNA and infectious virions were detected in tick tissues via q‐RT‐PCR and focus‐forming assay, respectively. POWV‐injected female ticks were infested on mice, and virus was transmitted to mice during tick feeding, as shown by clinical signs of disease and seroconversion in the tick-exposed mice, as well as the detection of viral RNA in various mouse tissues. A POWV-injected female tick transmitted virus to her larval progeny, indicating that H. longicornis can vertically transmit POWV. These naturally-infected larval ticks were also able to transmit POWV to the mouse on which they fed and to the nymphal stage after molting, further demonstrating that H. longicornis can transmit POWV in the horizontal and transstadial modes. Larval and nymphal ticks were also orally infected with POWV while feeding on viremic mice. Additionally, this study provides the first report of POWV neuropathology based on a natural tick transmission model of POWV. Together, our results suggest that the invasive H. longicornis tick is a competent vector of POWV. These findings underline the growing danger this tick may pose to human health in the United States. Additional scholarship on the tick’s biology, ecology, and pathogen transmission dynamics in nature will be important towards understanding the full public health impact of this invasive species.

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Rapid Spread of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus by Parthenogenetic Asian Longhorned Ticks

Cited by 38 publications

References 36 publications

Spatiotemporal analysis of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in Shandong Province, China, 2014–2018

Spatiotemporal analysis of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in Shandong Province, China, 2014–2018

Hedgehogs are the major amplifying hosts of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus

Horizontal and Vertical Transmission of Powassan Virus by the Invasive Asian Longhorned Tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, Under Laboratory Conditions

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