Abstract
To identify tickborne viruses circulating in Kenya and the surrounding region, we conducted surveillance at abattoirs in Nairobi, Kenya. Species of ticks collected included Rhipicephalus pulchellus (56%), Amblyomma gemma (14%), R. appendiculatus (8%), A. variegatum (6%), and others. A total of 56 virus isolates were obtained, 26 from A. gemma, 17 from R. pulchellus, 6 from A. variegatum, and 7 from other species. Virus isolates included Dugbe virus (DUGV), an unknown virus related to DUGV, Thogoto, Bhanja, Kadam, Dhori, Barur, and foot-and-mouth disease (FMDV) viruses. This is the first report of Dhori virus isolation in East Africa and the first known isolation of FMDV associated with tick collection. Our results demonstrate the potential for tickborne dissemination of endemic and emergent viruses and the relevance of A. gemma in the maintenance of tickborne viruses in this region.
Highlights
To identify tickborne viruses circulating in Kenya and the surrounding region, we conducted surveillance at abattoirs in Nairobi, Kenya
The predominant species collected was Rhipicephalus pulchellus (56%), followed by Amblyomma gemma, R. appendiculatus, and A. variegatum
In this study, A. gemma ticks were incriminated for the first time as key vectors or reservoirs of tickborne viruses in the East African region; 46% of our virus isolates were obtained from this species
Summary
To identify tickborne viruses circulating in Kenya and the surrounding region, we conducted surveillance at abattoirs in Nairobi, Kenya. Virus isolates included Dugbe virus (DUGV), an unknown virus related to DUGV, Thogoto, Bhanja, Kadam, Dhori, Barur, and foot-and-mouth disease (FMDV) viruses. This is the first report of Dhori virus isolation in East Africa and the first known isolation of FMDV associated with tick collection. To investigate the abundance of tickborne arboviruses in Kenya and the surrounding region, we collected and tested ticks infesting livestock driven to market at 2 major abattoirs in Nairobi, Kenya. These abattoirs receive the bulk of animals slaughtered for Nairobi and its environs, which is the largest livestock market in the country. An unexpected result of this study was the isolation of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) from tick pools
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