Emergence of Hyalomma marginatum and Hyalomma rufipes adults revealed by
citizen science tick monitoring in Hungary
Abstract
Hyalomma ticks are important vectors of Crimean-Congo
Haemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) and other pathogens. They are
frequently carried as immatures from Africa, the Middle East and
Mediterranean areas to temperate Europe via migratory birds and
emergence of its adults has been reported in many countries where it has
so far been non-endemic. Our aim was to implement the first steps of the
DAMA (Document, Assess, Monitor, Act) protocol by monitoring the
potential arrival of adult Hyalomma ticks in Hungary applying
citizen-science methods. Ticks were collected from April-December 2021
by asking volunteer participants through a self-made website to look for
unusual hard ticks on themselves, their pets and livestock. Owing to the
intensive media campaign, the project website had over 31 thousand
visitors within seven months and 137 specimens and several hundreds of
photos of hard ticks were submitted by citizen scientists from all over
the country. Beside Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor
reticulatus, Dermacentor marginatus and Haemaphysalis
inermis, a specimen from a dog was morphologically identified as a male
Hyalomma marginatum and another removed from a cattle as a male
Hyalomma rufipes. The dog and the cattle had never been abroad,
they were approximately 280 km apart, thus the two Hyalomma
observations can be considered as separate introductions. Amplification
of the partial mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I gene was
successful for both specimens. Sequencing verified the previous
morphological identification for both ticks. Based on the phylogenetic
analyses the Hy. marginatum individual most likely belongs to the
Eurasian population and the Hy. rufipes to a clade of mixed
sequences from Europe and Africa. We summarize the scattered historical
reports about the occurrence of Hyalomma ticks and CCHFV in
Hungary. Our data highlight the effectiveness of citizens science
programmes in the monitoring and risk assessment of CCHFV emergence and
preparedness in our region.