In a collaborative study by Ankara University and Kafkas University, scientists in Türkiye are investigating the transmission rates of diseases carried by ticks.
Supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBITAK), the project titled “Phylogeographic Investigation of Different Hyalomma Species in Natural Foci of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) Virus: Determining Virus-Vector Relationships at the Population Genetics Level in Areas Dominated or Shared by Hyalomma Marginatum, Hyalomma Excavatum, Hyalomma Asiaticum and Hyalomma Aegyptium” is being conducted in multiple provinces, including Erzurum, following initial research in Sivas.
Academics working in the Şenkaya district of Erzurum are collecting tick samples and warning local residents in the field about the potential dangers. These samples will be analyzed in a laboratory to gain a better understanding of virus prevalence. The researchers aim to complete the project by the end of next year.
Professor Zati Vatansever, from the Department of Parasitology at Kafkas University’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, stated that they are conducting fieldwork in collaboration with Ankara University.
He explained that their research is examining the presence of the CCHF virus in ticks across the Türkiye region. “Although we don’t have nationwide data yet, in Sivas, we’ve found that up to 10% of ticks that attach to humans carry the virus. This is a significant finding,” Vatansever said. “We will continue to study virus presence in ticks in all regions where CCHF is known to spread.”
Professor Ömer Orkun, from the Department of Parasitology at Ankara University’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and head of the Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Laboratory, noted that their fieldwork in the villages of Erzurum’s Şenkaya district is focused on studying tick populations.
“We are investigating the roles of vector ticks in natural foci of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, examining how these species interact with one another and their varying transmission capacities,” Orkun said.
He added that their research spans a vast region, from western Central Anatolia to the Posof district of Ardahan, covering provinces such as Ankara, Bolu, Eskişehir, Çorum, Sivas, Erzurum, Kars, Ardahan and Artvin, where human CCHF cases are reported annually at varying levels.
“Şenkaya, where we are currently conducting our fieldwork, is classified as a hyperendemic region, meaning we see consistent cases of CCHF here every year,” he stated.
Orkun emphasized that tick samples collected during fieldwork are analyzed in their dedicated laboratory using molecular techniques. “We screen not only for the CCHF virus but also for a wide range of pathogens affecting both human and animal health. We also aim to identify genetic relationships between the ticks and pathogens,” he said.
“These regions are considered the epicenter of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Türkiye and we believe the data we obtain will play a crucial role in combating the disease in the future,” Orkun concluded.