Hoffman et al.
Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus RNA in Hyalomma rufipes ticks infesting migratory birds, Europe and Asia Minor.
Emerg. Infect. Dis. 2018; 24: 879-882
Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus (AHFV) specific RNA could be identified in five Hyalomma rufipes ticks (of 747 ticks in total) collected from 14,824 migrating birds leaving Africa for breeding grounds in Europe and Asia.
AHFV is a variant of Kyasanur Forest disease virus, a member of tick-borne flaviviruses. It is endemic in Saudi Arabia and some sporadic cases have been reported near the Egypt-Sudan border in Africa. The findings of the authors that AHFV could be found in ticks which were infesting birds flying from Africa to Europe, together with clinical cases observed in southern Egypt, could indicate a wider geographic distribution of the virus throughout eastern Africa and in novel regions. The role of migrating birds in distribution of tick-borne pathogens has been poorly understood. The changing climate and environment in Central Europe may facilitate the establishment of “exotic” tick species carrying new pathogens transported by birds.