Metatranscriptomics Reveals the RNA Virome of Ixodes Persulcatus in the China–North Korea Border, 2017
Ruichen Wang,
Shenghui Liu,
Hongliang Sun,
Chongxiao Xu,
Yanhan Wen,
Xiwen Wu,
Weijia Zhang,
Kai Nie,
Fan Li,
Shihong Fu,
Qikai Yin,
Ying He,
Songtao Xu,
Guodong Liang,
Liquan Deng,
Qiang Wei,
Huanyu Wang
Affiliations
Ruichen Wang
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Shenghui Liu
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Hongliang Sun
Changchun Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Changchun 130012, China
Chongxiao Xu
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Yanhan Wen
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Xiwen Wu
Changchun Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Changchun 130012, China
Weijia Zhang
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Kai Nie
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Fan Li
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Shihong Fu
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Qikai Yin
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Ying He
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Songtao Xu
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Guodong Liang
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Liquan Deng
School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
Qiang Wei
National Pathogen Resource Center, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
Huanyu Wang
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China
In recent years, numerous viruses have been identified from ticks, and some have been linked to clinical cases of emerging tick-borne diseases. Chinese northeast frontier is tick infested. However, there is a notable lack of systematic monitoring efforts to assess the viral composition in the area, leaving the ecological landscape of viruses carried by ticks not clear enough. Between April and June 2017, 7101 ticks were collected to perform virus surveillance on the China–North Korea border, specifically in Tonghua, Baishan, and Yanbian. A total of 2127 Ixodes persulcatus were identified. Further investigation revealed the diversity of tick-borne viruses by transcriptome sequencing of Ixodes persulcatus. All ticks tested negative for tick-borne encephalitis virus. Transcriptome sequencing expanded 121 genomic sequence data of 12 different virus species from Ixodes persulcatus. Notably, a new segmented flavivirus, named Baishan Forest Tick Virus, were identified, closely related to Alongshan virus and Harz mountain virus. Therefore, this new virus may pose a potential threat to humans. Furthermore, the study revealed the existence of seven emerging tick-borne viruses dating back to 2017. These previously identified viruses included Mudanjiang phlebovirus, Onega tick phlebovirus, Sara tick phlebovirus, Yichun mivirus, and three unnamed viruses (one belonging to the Peribunyaviridae family and the other two belonging to the Phenuiviridae family). The existence of these emerging tick-borne viruses in tick samples collected in 2017 suggests that their history may extend further than previously recognized. This study provides invaluable insights into the virome of Ixodes persulcatus in the China–North Korea border region, enhancing our ongoing efforts to manage the risks associated with tick-borne viruses.
