Ecological Changes Exacerbating the Spread of Invasive Ticks has Driven the Dispersal of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus Throughout Southeast Asia
Lester J. Pérez, Guy Baele, Samuel L. Hong, Gavin Cloherty, Michael G. Berg
Abstract
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a tick-borne virus recognized by the World Health Organization as an emerging infectious disease of growing concern. Utilizing phylodynamic and phylogeographic methods, we have reconstructed the origin and transmission patterns of SFTSV lineages and the roles demographic, ecological, and climatic factors have played in shaping its emergence and spread throughout Asia. Environmental changes and fluctuations in tick populations, exacerbated by the widespread use of pesticides, have contributed significantly to its geographic expansion. The increased adaptability of Lineage L2 strains to the Haemaphysalis longicornis vector has facilitated the dispersal of SFTSV through Southeast Asia. Increased surveillance and proactive measures are needed to prevent further spread to Australia, Indonesia, and North America.