Metagenomic analysis showcases the diversity of tick RNA viruses in Mentougou District, Beijing, China

Ticks are associated with 911 recorded cases globally and are widely distributed in China, making them the second most important pathogen vector after mosquitoes. Tick-borne viruses (TBVs) currently comprise at least 160 species, several of which pose significant threats to human health, including Dabie bandavirus, Jingmen tick virus, Alongshan virus, Songling virus, Beihai nairovirus, and Langya henipavirus. This has attracted increasing global public health attention. However, little is known about the distribution of tick-borne viruses in Beijing. In this study, we collected tick samples from Mentougou District, Beijing, and performed metagenomic sequencing and analysis. A total of 12 viral families and 19 distinct viral species were identified, including Hepeliviridae, Solemoviridae, Mymonaviridae, Nodaviridae, Permutotetraviridae, Phenuiviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Tombusviridae, and Totiviridae. Among these, six novel viruses belonging to five viral families were discovered. A potential pathogen, Jingmen tick virus-like virus, was also confirmed in selected specimens. Our findings indicate an extremely diverse range of RNA viruses carried by ticks in Mentougou District, Beijing.