Review of Schistosomiasis Spatial Epidemiology in Zambia

#### Methods


"mapping" OR "prediction" AND

"schistosomiasis" AND "Zambia".

## **First Detection of Jingmen Tick Virus in Corsica: Development and Validation of a Real-Time Assay to Face a Potential Emergence**

**Vincent Cicculli1,2, Nazli Ayhan2, Laurence Vial3, Remi Charrel2, and Alessandra Falchi1** 1UR7310 BIOSCOPE, Laboratoire de Virologie, Université de Corse-Inserm, 20250 Corte, France 2Unité des Virus Emergents (UVE), Aix-Marseille Université, IRD 190, INSERM 1207, IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille

3UMR CIRAD-INRA ASTRE (Animal, Health, Territories, Risks and Ecosystems) Department BIOS,

Campus International de Baillarguet, 34398 Montpellier, Cedex 5, France

Jingmen tick virus (JMTV) is a new tick-borne segmented RNA virus detected in *Rhipicephalus microplus* ticks in the Jingmen region of Hubei province in China in 2010. The detection of the JMTV genome was described in fatal cases of Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Kosovo. However, whether or not JMTV causes disease in humans remains unclear. The aim of this study was to develop a rapid diagnostic system for JMTV genome detection and to investigate the circulation of this virus in ticks collected from animals in Corsican (France). A new real-time PCR system was designed and evaluated for the detection of the JMTV group. Ticks collected from domestic and wild animals have been tested with this new diagnostic assay. The complete genome of the virus was sequenced by the NGS method. Infection rates were calculated as the maximum-likelihood estimation (MLE) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A total of 6,269 ticks collected during 2018–2020 from cattle, horses, wild boars, and sheep were grouped into 1,715 pools of 1-6 ticks.

Jingmen tick virus DNA was detected in 21 tick pools collected from three cattle and one tick pool collected from a sheep. The highest JMTV DNA prevalence (MLE=0.58%, 95% CI: 0.35%-0.6%) was observed for the *Rhipicephalus* genus. *Hyalomma marginatum* and *Rhipicephalus bursa* collected from the same host were detected positive for the JMTV DNA. Sequencing showed that Corsican JMTV strains were closed to Kosovo JMTV strains. This study described the first detection of JMTV in Corsica and more widely in the southwestern Mediterranean and allowed the development of a diagnosis system assay. Future research aimed at defining the origin, ecology, and spillover potential of JMTV will be critical to understanding its relevance to public health.

Vincent Cicculli1,2, Nazli Ayhan2, Laurence Vial3, Remi Charrel2, and Alessandra Falchi1

1 UR7310 BIOSCOPE, Laboratoire de Virologie, Université de Corse-Inserm, 20250 Corte, France

2 Unité des Virus Emergents (UVE), Aix-Marseille Université, IRD 190, INSERM 1207, IHU Méditerranée Infection, 13005 Marseille 3 UMR CIRAD-INRA ASTRE (Animal, Health, Territories, Risks and Ecosystems) Department BIOS, Campus International de Baillarguet, 34398 Montpellier, Cedex 5, France

#### **Importance of diagnostic systems in the containment of epidemics**

#### Introduction

The last ten years have seen a number of public health burdens due to emerging infectious diseases. It is estimated that there are over l billion viruses yet to be discovered. Therefore, investigating the sources of infections to develop surveillance systems and create preparedness and response strategies is crucial for managing future epidemics.

Corsica is a sentinel area for the study of tick-borne diseases. Its geolocation, the presence of avian migration corridors and a warm climate facilitate the emergence of new vector species and associated vector-borne pathogens. Through monitoring vector-borne viral agents on the island and developing rapid diagnostic systems, we can implement preparedness and response strategies for potential epidemics in Europe. A diagnostic system is therefore important for understanding the dynamics of an epidemic as a whole through a One Heath approach.

The Jingmen Tick virus group of new segmented viruses discovered in China is showing worrying epidemiological results. There are a number of clues to its potential as an emerging arbovirosis, including experimental replication and trans-ovarial and trans-stadial passages of the virus in ticks and viremia and virus isolation in humans associated with symptoms.

Recently, JMTV has been detected in many hosts, such as bats, rodents, monkeys and cattle, across the world. The aim of this study is to create a rapid diagnostic system able to detect all viruses of the Jingmen group, and to investigate the presence of the virus in Corsica. This will be achieved by creating a rapid and sensitive detection system for JMTV and carrying out an entomological survey on ticks in Corsica.

#### Methods

#### Design of System

All sequences (67) of the three members of the Jingmen virus group (Jingmen Tick virus, Alongshan Tick virus and Yanggou Tick virus) were aligned and an RT- qPCR detection system was designed to detect all strains of the three virus species.

#### Tick collection

Ticks were collected from cattle in slaughterhouse, (Hunting season) from wild boars and Hunting season) and from horses farm and with flag through island.

Detection in ticks and complete genome sequencing

Once the detection system is validated with artificial ARN T+, ticks are tested and positive samples were used for Next Generation Sequencing.

#### Results-Discussion

#### Tick collection

Detection Jingmen Tick virus in ticks


Phylogeny of Corsican Jingmen Tick virus

The Corsican JMTV is close to the Mediterranean JMTV strains and in particular to the human strain from Kosovo. Not surprisingly, the JMTV strains form clusters by geographical area (China, Brazil, Mediterranean) rather than by host (ticks, bats, rodents).
