Molecular Detection of Tacheng Tick Virus-1 (TcTV-1) and Jingmen Tick Virus in Ticks Collected from Wildlife and Livestock in Turkey: First Indication of TcTV-1 Beyond China

Jingmen tick virus (JMTV) and Tacheng tick virus-1 (TcTV-1) are emerging tick-borne viruses that have been recently confirmed to be etiological agents of human disease in China. However, the ecology of JMTV and TcTV-1, especially their association with ticks in wildlife and livestock, remains largely unknown in Turkey. Eight hundred thirty-two tick specimens in 117 pools were collected in Turkey between 2020 and 2022 from wildlife ( and = 10, 1.2%; = 50, 6%) and livestock ( and = 772, 92.7%). The specimens were individually screened for JMTV and TcTV-1 using nRT-PCR assays targeting the partial genes. JMTV was detected in one pool and two pools collected from central and Aegean provinces, respectively. TcTV-1 was identified in five pools collected in Mediterranean provinces. No coinfection was detected in the tick pools. Maximum likelihood analysis of JMTV partial segment 1 sequences reveal that these sequences form a separate cluster together with viruses previously characterized in Turkey and the Balkan Peninsula. The phylogenetic analysis of the TcTV-1 nucleocapsid sequences indicates that they are closely related to viruses in ticks, sheep, cattle, and humans in China, but form a separate group among themselves. This study provides the first molecular evidence of TcTV-1 in in Turkey. In addion, these findings indicate that JMTV and TcTV-1 extend ticks species and geographic distributions. Thus, multiregional surveillance in livestock and wildlife is needed to evaluate potential tick vectors and the human health impact of these viruses in Turkey.