Metagenomic survey reveals Volzhskoe tick virus in Hyalomma ticks for the first time in western Europe, North-Eastern Spain

Abstract

Ticks are reservoirs and vectors of several emerging arboviruses, yet their associated virome remains poorly characterized. Using meta-transcriptomic sequencing, we surveyed Hyalomma marginatum and Rhipicephalus bursa ticks collected from areas with contrasting Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) seroprevalence in wild ungulates in north-eastern Spain, a region with no reported CCHF cases in humans. While CCHFV RNA was not detected, we identified Volzhskoe tick virus (VTV), a recently described member of the class Bunyaviricetes, first identified in Russia, in H. marginatum from the Ports de Tortosa i Beseit Natural Park—making its first report of VTV in Western Europe. These findings suggest a broader distribution of VTV and raise important questions about its potential interactions with CCHFV, pathogenicity and host range. Moreover, our approach underscores the value of metagenomic surveillance for improving our understanding of tick-borne virus ecology.