Soft ticks (Acari: Argasidae) in the island nations of Southeast Asia: A review on their distribution, associated hosts and potential pathogens

•This article reviews the species of soft ticks (Acari: Argasidae) and their associated hosts and pathogens in the island nations of Southeast Asia, which consist of Malaysia (both Peninsula and Borneo), Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and the Philippines.•The most prevalent soft tick genus in the island nations of Southeast Asia is the Carios genus, and the host species most associated with findings of soft ticks in this region are bats, particularly of the genera Eonycteris, Pipistrellus, Scotophilus, and Rousettus.•The only known pathogens originating from soft ticks in the island nations of Southeast Asia was the Keterah virus, which was isolated from the Argas pusillus tick in Malaysia.•We provide a list of soft tick species and a pictorial summary of the geographical distribution of soft ticks in the island nations of Southeast Asia. Soft ticks (Acari: Argasidae) are the second major family of the blood feeding metastriates and vectors of a number of viral and bacterial pathogens for both humans and animals. Despite the growing effort on tick surveillance and studies worldwide, there is still limited information on the soft tick distribution in the island nations of Southeast Asia, especially species that are medically and veterinarily important. With the aim to provide an overview of the current status of knowledge on soft tick distribution in the island nations of Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste), this article reviews the species of soft ticks (Acari: Argasidae) and their associated hosts and pathogens, with the addition of a pictorial summary and list of tick species discovered in this region. The most prevalent soft tick genus is Carios, and the host species most associated with findings of soft ticks in this region are bats, particularly of the Pteropodidae and Vespertilionidae families. Furthermore, the only known pathogen originating from soft ticks in the island nations of Southeast Asia was the Keterah virus, which was isolated from Argas pusillus tick in Malaysia.