Metagenomic survey reveals Volzhskoe tick virus in Hyalomma ticks for the first time in western Europe, North-Eastern Spain
Carrera Faja, Laura (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals)
Jasso, Mariette Viladomat (Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal)
Sarmiento, Iris (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia)
Cabrera Gumbau, Jordi Manuel (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina "Vicent Villar Palasí")
Espunyes, Johan (Govern d'Andorra. Ministeri de Medi Ambient, Agricultura i Ramaderia)
Martinez-Urtaza, Jaime (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia)
Cabezón Ponsoda, Óscar (Unitat mixta d'investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal. Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal)

Date:	2025
Abstract:	Ticks are reservoirs and vectors of several emerging arboviruses, yet their associated virome remains poorly characterized. Using meta-transcriptomic sequencing, we surveyed Hyalomma marginatum and Rhipicephalus bursa ticks collected from areas with contrasting Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) seroprevalence in wild ungulates in north-eastern Spain, a region with no reported CCHF cases in humans. While CCHFV RNA was not detected, we identified Volzhskoe tick virus (VTV), a recently described member of the class Bunyaviricetes, first identified in Russia, in H. marginatum from the Ports de Tortosa i Beseit Natural Park-making its first report of VTV in Western Europe. These findings suggest a broader distribution of VTV and raise important questions about its potential interactions with CCHFV, pathogenicity and host range. Moreover, our approach underscores the value of metagenomic surveillance for improving our understanding of tick-borne virus ecology.
Grants:	Generalitat de Catalunya 2022/FI_B-00723 Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2021-126996OA-I00 Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades PID2024-158857OB-C21 Generalitat de Catalunya 2023/CLIMA-00103
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Bunyaviricetes ; Cross-reactivity ; Iberian ibex ; Meta-transcriptomics ; Nairovirus ; Wildlife ; SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
Published in:	One Health, Vol. 21 (December 2025) , art. 101279, ISSN 2352-7714

DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2025.101279
PMID: 41438409

5 p, 1011.8 KB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA-IRTA)
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina (IBB)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles