Genetic Evidence of Regional Circulation of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Ixodid Ticks from Southern Kazakhstan

Maxat Berdikulov¹Kydyrbay Maikhin¹Talgat Karibayev¹Kanat Kalkabayev¹Botagoz Nurekeyeva¹Raikhan Nissanova²Abzal Makhmutov³Nurkuisa Mirzabekovich Rametov⁴Abishov Abdikalyk⁵Sarsenbay Abdrakhmanov⁶Dong-Kun Yang⁷Gulzhan Mussayeva^1*

• ¹National Veterinary Reference Center, Almaty, Kazakhstan
• ²LLP «Kazakh Scientific Research Veterinary Institute», Almaty, Kazakhstan
• ³NJSC «Kazakh National Agrarian Research University», Almaty, Kazakhstan
• ⁴Kazakh National Research Technical University named after K.I.Satpayev, Almaty, Kazakhstan
• ⁵Diavak-ABN Scientific and Production Center, Almaty, Kazakhstan
• ⁶S.Seifullin Kazakh Agrotechnical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
• ⁷Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, Republic of Korea

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) pose a growing threat to livestock and human health across Central Asia. This study aimed to assess the presence and genetic diversity of arboviral pathogens—Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), Bluetongue virus (BTV), Schmallenberg virus (SBV), and lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV)—in ixodid ticks livestock in southern Kazakhstan. A total of 3,281 adult ticks were collected from three regions (Turkestan, Zhambyl, and Kyzylorda) and identified morphologically. Molecular screening was performed using real-time and nested RT-PCR. CCHFV RNA was detected exclusively in female ticks from the Turkestan region, with Dermacentor pictus showing the highest infection rate (21.05%), followed by Hyalomma anatolicum, Dermacentor marginatus, and Hyalomma scupense. No viral RNA was detected for BTV, SBV, or LSDV. Phylogenetic analysis based on partial S and L segments revealed that the Kazakhstani isolates clustered within Asia-1 and Asia-2 genotypes and shared high sequence identity with regional strains from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and China, supporting transboundary virus circulation. These findings provide additional molecular evidence of localized CCHFV activity in livestock-associated ticks in southern Kazakhstan, expanding current knowledge on the virus’s geographic distribution and genetic diversity.