Insights into the virome of Hyalomma marginatum in the Danube Delta: a major vector of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in Eastern Europe

In this work, we used an RNA sequencing technique to analyze the virome of Hyalomma marginatum ticks collected from the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, Romania, one of the major bird migration hubs from Africa to Europe.
Among the viral taxa detected in ticks, sequences belonging to Volzhskoe tick virus (VTV), Balambala tick virus (BMTV) and Bole tick virus 4 (BTV4) were identified. In addition, we report the first identification of a novel Rhabdoviridae-related virus, Hyalomma marginatum rhabdovirus (HMRV).