Sequences related to Chimay rhabdovirus are widely distributed in Ixodes ricinus ticks across England and Wales

Schilling, M., Golding, M., Jones, B. P., Mansfield, K. L., Gandy, S. , Medlock, J. and Johnson, N. (2024) Sequences related to Chimay rhabdovirus are widely distributed in Ixodes ricinus ticks across England and Wales. Viruses, 16(4), 504. (doi: 10.3390/v16040504)

Abstract

Ticks are the main arthropod vector of pathogens to humans and livestock in the British Isles. Despite their role as a vector of disease, many aspects of tick biology, ecology, and microbial association are poorly understood. To address this, we investigated the composition of the microbiome of adult and nymphal Ixodes ricinus ticks. The ticks were collected on a dairy farm in Southwest England and RNA extracted for whole genome sequencing. Sequences were detected from a range of microorganisms, particularly tick-associated viruses, bacteria, and nematodes. A majority of the viruses were attributed to phlebo-like and nairo-like virus groups, demonstrating a high degree of homology with the sequences present in I. ricinus from mainland Europe. A virus sharing a high sequence identity with Chimay rhabdovirus, previously identified in ticks from Belgium, was detected. Further investigations of I. ricinus ticks collected from additional sites in England and Wales also identified Chimay rhabdovirus viral RNA with varying prevalence in all tick populations. This suggests that Chimay rhabdovirus has a wide distribution and highlights the need for an extended exploration of the tick microbiome in the United Kingdom (UK).

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: Funding for this study was provided by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Scottish Government and Welsh Government through projects SE0559 and SV3045. Further support was provided by the project TickTools: Development of tools to monitor and control tick-borne diseases of humans and livestock (Grant reference BB/X018008/1) funded by the British Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Council (BBSRC) and Defra.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Gandy, Dr Sara

Creator Roles

Gandy, S.: Investigation

• Authors: Schilling, M., Golding, M., Jones, B. P., Mansfield, K. L., Gandy, S., Medlock, J., and Johnson, N.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Viruses
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1999-4915
• ISSN (Online): 1999-4915
• Published Online: 26 March 2024
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2024 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Viruses 16(4):504
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons license