Identification and Characterization of Jingmen Tick Virus in Ticks from Yunnan Imported Cattle.

Jingmen tick virus (JMTV) is a tick-borne segmented positive-sense ssRNA virus that can cause human disease. This virus has been confirmed to be widespread, having a wide host range. In human it can cause fever, headache, lymphadenopathy, and asthenia. Therefore, JMTV poses a threat to public health. In this study, we collected 478 ticks from imported cattle on three quarantine farms near the Yunnan border to detect medically significant tick-borne viruses. Our findings show that JMTV was the only detected virus, with an incidence rate of 56.67%. Phylogenetic analysis showed that our JMTV is more closely related to previously reported JMTV strains from Yunnan Province and neighboring Laos, implying that the tick-borne virus was most likely imported from Laos. In conclusion, we identified and characterized a novel JMTV strain in tick (Rhipicephalus microplus) from Yunnan imported cattle, emphasizing the importance of arbovirus quarantine of livestock imports.

Cross-species transmission, evolution and zoonotic potential of coronaviruses.

Coronaviruses (CoVs) continuously evolve, crossing species barriers and spreading across host ranges. Over the last two decades, several CoVs (HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-HKU1, HCoV-OC43, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2) have emerged in animals and mammals, causing significant economic and human life losses. Due to CoV cross-species transmission and the evolution of novel viruses, it is critical to identify their natural reservoiurs and the circumstances under which their transmission occurs. In this review, we use genetic and ecological data to disentangle the evolution of various CoVs in wildlife, humans, and domestic mammals. We thoroughly investigate several host species and outline the epidemiology of CoVs toward specific hosts. We also discuss the cross-species transmission of CoVs at the interface of wildlife, animals, and humans. Clarifying the epidemiology and diversity of species reservoirs will significantly impact our ability to respond to the future emergence of CoVs in humans and domestic animals.