BackgroundHyalomma marginatum and Hyalomma rufipes are two-host tick species, which are mainly distributed in southern Europe, Africa and middle-eastern Asia. They are well-known vectors of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus and other viruses as well as Rickettsia aeschlimannii. In recent years, these tick species have been found sporadically in Germany, but they do not belong to the autochthonous tick fauna in Germany.MethodsTicks with unusual morphology were collected and sent from private persons or public health offices to involve institutions for morphological identification and further testing. All ticks identified as Hyalomma spp. were tested using molecular detection methods for CCHF virus, Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii and Coxiella-like organisms, Babesia spp. and Theileria spp.ResultsThirty-five ticks with an unusual appearance or behaviour were reported to us during summer-autumn 2018. For 17 of them, the description or photos implied that they belong to the hard tick genus Hyalomma. The remaining 18 ticks were sent to us and were identified as adult Hyalomma marginatum (10 specimens) or adult Hyalomma rufipes (8 specimens). All ticks tested negative for CCHF virus, Coxiella burnetii, Coxiella-like organisms, Babesia spp. and Theileria spp. The screening for rickettsiae gave positive results in 9 specimens . The Rickettsia species in all cases was identified as R. aeschlimannii.ConclusionsThese results show that exotic tick species imported into Germany were able to develop from the nymphal to the adult stage under appropriate weather conditions. Fifty percent of the ticks carried R. aeschlimannii, a human pathogen, while CCHF virus or other pathogens were not detected. Imported Hyalomma ticks may be the source of exotic diseases acquired in Germany.

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Ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) have a major economic impact on animal production worldwide. In the present study, 2410 ticks were collected from January to August 2017 from livestock and other domestic animals in North Kordofan and Kassala, Sudan, for species identification and investigation of Rickettsia spp. and piroplasms, either individually or as pools containing up to 10 ticks by molecular methods. In total, 13 tick species were identified by morphology and 16S rDNA sequencing. The most frequent tick species were Hyalomma impeltatum (24.90%), Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi (18.84%), Amblyomma lepidum (16.06%), and Rhipicephalus camicasi (12.49%). A pan-Rickettsia real-time PCR revealed an overall minimum infection rate (MIR) with Rickettsia spp. of 5.64% (136 positive tick pools/2410 total ticks). Rickettsia africae and Rickettsia aeschlimannii were the most frequently identified species by sequencing. Furthermore, the following highly pathogenic livestock parasites were detected: Theileria annulata, Theileria lestoquardi, Theileria equi, and Babesia caballi. The present study documented Rhipicephalus afranicus as well as Rickettsia conorii israelensis, Rickettsia massiliae, and Babesia pecorum for the first time in Sudan. These findings are significant for the animal production sector as well as in terms of One Health, as the detected Rickettsia spp. can cause serious illness in humans.

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An evidence for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) was found in Hyalomma impeltatum ticks collected from sheep in North Kordofan in the Sudan. Based on sequencing of the partial segment S, the detected virus belongs to lineage I with closest similarity to CCHFV strains from Senegal. So far, this lineage is unknown in the Sudan.