Tick species diversity and potential distribution alternation of dominant ticks under different climate scenarios in Xinjiang, China

Rui Ma; Chunfu Li; Ai Gao; Na Jiang; Jian Li; Wei Hu; Xinyu Feng

doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0012108

Tick species diversity and potential distribution alternation of dominant ticks under different climate scenarios in Xinjiang, China

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2024 Apr 29;18(4):e0012108. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012108. eCollection 2024 Apr.

Authors

Rui Ma¹, Chunfu Li¹, Ai Gao¹, Na Jiang¹, Jian Li^{1

2}, Wei Hu^{1

3}, Xinyu Feng^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China.
² Basic Medical College, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
³ Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
⁴ School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
⁵ One Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University-The University of Edinburgh, Shanghai, China.

Abstract

Ticks are a hematophagous parasite and a vector of pathogens for numerous human and animal diseases of significant importance. The expansion of tick distribution and the increased risk of tick-borne diseases due to global climate change necessitates further study of the spatial distribution trend of ticks and their potential influencing factors. This study constructed a dataset of tick species distribution in Xinjiang for 60 years based on literature database retrieval and historical data collection (January 1963-January 2023). The distribution data were extracted, corrected, and deduplicated. The dominant tick species were selected for analysis using the MaxEnt model to assess their potential distribution in different periods under the current and BCC-CSM2.MR mode scenarios. The results indicated that there are eight genera and 48 species of ticks in 108 cities and counties of Xinjiang, with Hyalomma asiaticum, Rhipicephalus turanicus, Dermacentor marginatus, and Haemaphysalis punctatus being the top four dominant species. The MaxEnt model analysis revealed that the suitability areas of the four dominant ticks were mainly distributed in the north of Xinjiang, in areas such as Altay and Tacheng Prefecture. Over the next four periods, the medium and high suitable areas within the potential distribution range of the four tick species will expand towards the northwest. Additionally, new suitability areas will emerge in Altay, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, and other local areas. The 60-year tick dataset in this study provides a map of preliminary tick distribution in Xinjiang, with a diverse array of tick species and distribution patterns throughout the area. In addition, the MaxEnt model revealed the spatial change characteristics and future distribution trend of ticks in Xinjiang, which can provide an instrumental data reference for tick monitoring and tick-borne disease risk prediction not only in the region but also in other countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Copyright: © 2024 Ma et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animal Distribution
Animals
Biodiversity*
China / epidemiology
Climate
Climate Change*
Humans
Tick-Borne Diseases / epidemiology
Ticks* / classification

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Science and Technology leading talent team: Zoonotic disease prevention and Control Technology Innovation team (2022SLJRC0023 to WH); Key Technology Project of Inner Mongolia Science and Technology Department (2021GG0171 to WH); State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock (2020ZD0008 to WH); Study on pathogen spectrum, temporal and spatial distribution and transmission features of the important emerging and re-emerging zoonosis in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (U22A20526 to WH) National Parasitic Resources Center (NPRC-2019-194-30 to WH). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.