Chinese scientists have discovered a new virus transmitted by ticks after testing 3,163 patients with fever, finding 329 infected. Meanwhile, the same tick species carrying the virus has already spread across 21 U.S. states.
On 8 September 2026, the New England Journal of Medicine published research by Chinese scientists identifying a new tick-borne virus causing flu-like symptoms. They found 329 infected patients across four provinces in eastern and central China, including Hubei province, home to Wuhan, the center of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The researchers named the new virus Asian longhorned tick nairovirus (ALTNV), classifying it in the Orthonairovirus group of tick-borne viruses. Patients infected solely with ALTNV exhibited flu-like symptoms, with the most common symptom after fever being fatigue, seen in 84% of patients, followed by gastrointestinal symptoms in 80%, low platelet count in 38%, and elevated liver enzymes in 36%.
Scientists revealed that the Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) was the most common tick species carrying ALTNV. Researchers tested 47,428 ticks from 15 Chinese provinces and found ALTNV genetic material in 1.29% overall, with the highest rate of 1.75% in Asian longhorned ticks. Laboratory experiments also showed this tick species could transmit the virus to mice.
However, the study found no evidence that ALTNV has entered the United States yet. The Asian longhorned tick, the key vector of this virus, has already spread to 21 U.S. states, raising concerns about potential future virus transmission, though no ALTNV infections have been reported in the U.S. so far.
Source: Daily Mail