Literature-based spatiotemporal patterns of Hyalomma asiaticum and associated pathogen risks along the Belt and Road...

Hyalomma asiaticum is a dominant tick vector in arid and semi-arid regions. It transmits multiple pathogens affecting livestock health and production. Long-term spatiotemporal patterns of this tick and associated pathogens remain poorly characterized across the Belt and Road region. We systematically integrated 1970-2025 Chinese and English language literature to construct spatiotemporal distribution and pathogen risk databases for H. asiaticum. Standard deviational ellipse (SDE) analysis, kernel density estimation (KDE), and centroid shift methods were applied to quantify tick expansion and pathogen distribution. Host composition and environmental and human activity-related factors were evaluated as potential ecological correlates. H. asiaticum showed a literature-derived apparent spatial expansion pattern over the past half century. However, this pattern may partly reflect increased sampling effort and publication intensity over time. Five key pathogen groups (CCHFV, SFGR, Anaplasma spp., Coxiella burnetii, piroplasmids) displayed heterogeneous spatial patterns. For comparative interpretation, these pathogens were operationally grouped according to their major One Health risk relevance, primarily related to livestock production and trade or to public health. Livestock-associated pathogens showed higher detection metrics in hub regions, whereas public health risk pathogens showed no significant hub-region difference and only a weak HFP-related trend. This study provides a comprehensive, long-term assessment of H. asiaticum and its associated pathogens, highlighting livestock interfaces as key risk areas. Findings support targeted tick surveillance and cross-border biosecurity strategies, offering practical guidance for veterinary public health management along the Belt and Road corridor.