AUTHOR=Wang Juan , Wang Jing , Kuang Guopeng , Wu Weichen , Yang Lifen , Yang Weihong , Pan Hong , Han Xi , Yang Tian , Shi Mang , Feng Yun 

TITLE=Meta-transcriptomics for the diversity of tick-borne virus in Nujiang, Yunnan Province

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1283019

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2023.1283019

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<p>Ticks, an arthropod known for transmitting various pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi, pose a perpetual public health concern. A total of 2,570 ticks collected from Nujiang Prefecture in Yunnan Province between 2017 and 2022 were included in the study. Through the meta-transcriptomic sequencing of four locally distributed tick species, we identified 13 RNA viruses belonging to eight viral families, namely, <italic>Phenuiviridae</italic>, <italic>Nairoviridae</italic>, <italic>Peribunyaviridae</italic>, <italic>Flaviviridae</italic>, <italic>Chuviridae</italic>, <italic>Rhabdoviridae</italic>, <italic>Orthomyxoviridae</italic>, and <italic>Totiviridae</italic>. The most prevalent viruses were members of the order <italic>Bunyavirales</italic>, including three of <italic>Phenuiviridae</italic>, two were classified as <italic>Peribunyaviridae</italic>, and one was associated with <italic>Nairoviridae</italic>. However, whether they pose a threat to human health still remains unclear. Indeed, this study revealed the genetic diversity of tick species and tick-borne viruses in Nujiang Prefecture based on COI gene and tick-borne virus research. These data clarified the genetic evolution of some RNA viruses and furthered our understanding of the distribution pattern of tick-borne pathogens, highlighting the importance and necessity of monitoring tick-borne pathogens.</p>