Emerging Tick-Borne Pathogen: Jingmen Tick Virus Detected in Italy

Jingmen tick virus RNA was detected across multiple regions of Italy, a finding with immediate implications for clinicians assessing tick-exposed patients and for public-health surveillance.

The report indicates geographic spread rather than a single introduction, increasing the likelihood of local human exposure and prompting a review of regional surveillance programs.

The detection used a validated one-step real-time RT-PCR assay applied to pathogen screening of 1,150 hard ticks tested individually to enable fine-grained mapping. Individual testing avoided pooling-related dilution and, together with the assay's validated performance, supports confident identification of positive specimens across sampled regions.

JMTV RNA was found in several species, including Ixodes ricinus, Rhipicephalus bursa, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, Dermacentor marginatus, and Hyalomma marginatum. Repeated positives in Ixodes and Rhipicephalus taxa and detections from northeastern, central, and southern Italy indicate multi-region circulation rather than a focal cluster—multiple vector species now harbor JMTV across the country.

This finding points to potential under-recognized human exposure and supports considering JMTV among possible causes in the differential diagnosis of febrile or neurologic syndromes after tick bites, where epidemiology and clinical presentation make that plausible. For clinicians evaluating recent tick exposures with unexplained febrile illness or neurologic signs, JMTV is an uncommon but relevant etiologic possibility; the detection therefore aligns with a need for heightened clinical and public-health surveillance measures.

Broader surveillance could include wider tick screening and targeted PCR testing at sentinel sites, plus integration of JMTV molecular assays into reference-laboratory workflows to standardize detection and confirm results. Retrospective testing of stored human samples from patients with compatible syndromes can clarify missed cases and help define the clinical spectrum, improving early-warning capability and situational awareness.

Key Takeaways:

• JMTV has been documented in multiple tick species and regions of Italy.
• Clinicians, diagnostic laboratories, and public-health teams need heightened awareness and testing readiness.
• Expand surveillance, consider inclusion of JMTV in multiplex panels where feasible, and prepare reference labs for confirmatory testing. Routine inclusion of emerging tick viruses in surveillance planning will strengthen preparedness.