Novel phleboviruses detected in ticks, Greece

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Arthropod-borne Diseases
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Growing global interest in tick-borne phleboviruses since the identification of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus and Heartland virus in 2009.
• Need for understanding the presence and diversity of tick-borne phleboviruses in new geographic regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the presence of tick-borne phleboviruses in Greece.
• To genetically characterize any detected phleboviruses and compare them with global strains.
• To assess the prevalence of these viruses in tick populations.

Main Methods:

• Collection of ticks from sheep and goats across 60 sites in 13 Greek regional units.
• Pooling of ticks (1-3 ticks per pool) for phleboviral RNA detection using molecular methods.
• Phylogenetic analysis of positive samples to determine viral relationships.

Main Results:

• Six out of 210 tick pools tested positive for phleboviral RNA.
• Positive samples were identified in Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks from sheep in Pella, Imathia, and Ioannina regions.
• The overall minimum infection rate was 2.1%, with the newly identified Greek phlebovirus (Antigone virus) forming a distinct genetic clade.

Conclusions:

• A novel tick-borne phlebovirus, provisionally named Antigone virus, has been detected in Greece.
• The Antigone virus represents a distinct genetic lineage within tick-borne phleboviruses, differing significantly from known strains.
• Further research is required to elucidate the potential public health implications of this newly discovered virus.