PAKISTAN VETERINARY JOURNAL

Pak Vet J, xxxx, xx(x) xxx-xxx

Epidemiological Investigation and Risk Assessment of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus in Ixodes persulcatus: Across Mongolia, And the China-Mongolia Border Regions

Qing Xin¹, Shan Gao^2,#, Yuxin Wang¹, Tumenjargal Sharav³, Saiji Lahu⁴, Feng Jiang^1,5, Jinguo Zhu⁵, Mingxuan Zhang⁵, Qin Dai⁵, Yu Jiang⁶, Xiaohu Han^1,5*, Zeliang Chen^1,5* and Hongwei Xin^5*

¹Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, and Key Laboratory of Ruminant Infectious Disease Prevention and Control (East), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, 120 Dongling Road, Shenyang 110866, China; ²Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510275, China; ³Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; ⁴Tongliao centers for disease control and prevention, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia, 028000, People’s Republic of China; ⁵Academician Workstation for Zoonoses and Biosafety, Manzhouli International Travel Health Care Center, Manzhouli, Inner Mongolia, China; ⁶Qingdao Harwars Biology Group Ltd Company, No.23, Wangjiang Road, West Coast New District, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China

*Corresponding author: hxh8849@syau.edu.cn (Xiaohu Han); chzl@syau.edu.cn (Zeliang Chen); 4403668@qq.com (Hongwei Xing).

Abstract

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a significant zoonotic pathogen causing central nervous system infections. This study investigates the prevalence and distribution of TBEV in Ixodes persulcatus ticks along the China-Mongolia border, based on large-scale surveillance conducted from 2020 to 2023. We detected TBEV RNA in 7 out of 191 tick pools, with phylogenetic analysis revealing high genetic similarity between strains from China and Mongolia, indicating potential cross-border transmission. Ecological niche modeling (MaxEnt) identified high-risk areas extending beyond current PCR-positive sites, with precipitation and temperature as key environmental drivers of TBEV distribution. Our findings highlight a broader geographical spread of TBEV than previously recognized, emphasizing the need for enhanced surveillance and targeted preventive measures in underreported hotspots.

To Cite This Article: Xin Q, Gao S, Wang Y, Sharav T, Lahu S, Jiang F, Zhu J, Zhang M, Dai Q, Jiang Y, Han X, Chen Z and Xin H, 2025. Epidemiological investigation and risk assessment of tick-borne encephalitis virus in Ixodes persulcatus: across Mongolia, and the China-Mongolia border regions. Pak Vet J. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2025.294

Abstract

ISSN 0253-8318 (Print)ISSN 2074-7764 (Online)

ISSN 0253-8318 (Print)
ISSN 2074-7764 (Online)