Metagenomic Detection of RNA Viruses of Ticks in the Southern Regions of Kazakhstan.

ticks are known for their ability to transmit a wide range of pathogens, posing a significant threat to both human and animal health. The viral communities associated with ticks in Kazakhstan remain largely unexplored. Using high-throughput sequencing on the Ion Torrent platform, nine RNA viruses belonging to seven families were identified. These viruses were associated with ticks collected in 2024 in southern Kazakhstan. The detected viruses-including Bole tick virus 1 (), Bole tick virus 3 (), Bole tick virus 4 (), Hubei toti-like virus 24 (), Kashgar totiv tick virus 1 (), Lonestar tick totivirus (), Qingyuan parti tick virus 1 (), and Taishun tick virus ()-had previously been reported only in China. This study provides the first documented evidence of the presence of RNA viruses previously unreported in Kazakhstan within tick populations. A newly isolated Kazakhstan strain of Wad Medani virus (), identified from , shares genetic similarities with Russian strains, suggesting a common epidemiological landscape across Central Eurasia. The detection of novel RNA viruses in Kazakhstan highlights the need for ongoing surveillance, as their impact on human and animal health remains insufficiently understood.