Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To analyze the epidemic trends and molecular characteristics of four tick- and rodent-borne infectious diseases in Gansu Province from 2018 to 2024.
METHODS We collected and organized data on the occurrence of four tick- and rodent-borne infectious diseases in Gansu Province from 2018 to 2024. Tick specimens were collected through the flagging and line transect methods at 12 survey sites in six natural habitats, including the Hexi Corridor region, Longxi region and Longnan region, for morphological and molecular identification.
RESULTS A total of 3 002 tick specimens were collected, and 8 species of ticks were identified. The dominant tick species were Ixodes persulcatus (28.05%), Dermacentor silvarum (23.32%) and Hyalomma asiaticum (19.79%). From 2018 to 2024, the overall incidence of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), Q fever, and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) showed a fluctuating upward trend, with significant regional distribution differences: TBE was concentrated in Longnan and Pingliang areas, CCHF was prevalent in the Hexi Corridor region, Q fever was highly endemic in the Longxi region, and SFTS was mainly distributed in Longnan and Gannan areas. The peak incidence periods for TBE, CCHF, Q fever and SFTS were Jun. to Aug., Jul. to Sep., Jun. to Aug. and May to Aug., respectively. The hosts of TBE were mainly Apodemus agrarius, Apodemus peninsulae and Rattus norvegicus, while the hosts of CCHF and Q fever were wild mice (mixed populations), and the hosts of SFTS were Apodemus agrarius and Rattus flavipectus. Molecular identification showed that the nucleotide homology of the E gene of TBEV isolates from Gansu ranged from 98.67% to 99.83%, and the amino acid homology ranged from 99.19% to 99.98%. The homology with northern epidemic strains was 98.51% to 99.19% for nucleotide and 98.56% to 99.60% for amino acid, all belonging to the Far East subtype. The nucleotide homology of the S segment of SFTSV ranged from 98.79% to 99.73%, with F and B genotypes being the predominant genotypes.
CONCLUSIONS Tick- and rodent-borne infectious diseases in Gansu Province exhibit a fluctuating upward trend with distinct regional characteristics. The distribution of dominant tick species closely aligns with high-incidence areas of disease. TBEV and SFTSV demonstrate high genetic stability and are endemic and stable in prevalence. This study provides scientific support for the local formulation of differentiated and targeted prevention and control strategies.