Potential spillover investigated by metagenome sequencing in Laikipia, Kenya reveals tick-borne pathogens and a novel bunyavirus
Maureen Kamau, Koray Ergunay, Brian P. Bourke, Janerose Mutura, Rashid Lebunge, Griphin Ochieng, Kimita Gathii, John Waitumbi, Beth Mutai, James Hassell, Michael E. von Fricken, Dawn Zimmerman, Suzan Murray, Le Jiang, Hsiao-Mei Liao, John P. Grieco, Emily G. McDermott, Nicole L. Achee, Yvonne-Marie Linton
ABSTRACT: Tick-borne infections continue to present a global public health threat, and require a One Health approach for successful mitigation. We conducted cross-sectional tick screening utilizing an agnostic metagenomic screening strategy based on nanopore sequencing (NS), in an area spanning a range of habitats with intensified human-livestock-wildlife interactions in central Kenya. Findings indicated a novel virus—herein named as the Mpala tick virus— showcasing our approach provides an effective strategy to detect a wide range of tick-borne bacteria and viruses, facilitating identification of opportunistic or endosymbiotic bacteria as well as novel viruses.
Link to full-text publication: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2025.101226