DISTRIBUTION PREDICTION OF HYALOMMA ASIATICUM (ACARI: IXODIDAE) IN A LOCALIZED REGION IN NORTHWESTERN CHINA.

Hyalomma tick species are considered the competent vector tick species that carry and transmit Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) to humans and animals. Hyalomma asiaticum is one of the major tick species widespread in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China. To determine the potential prevalence of H. asiaticum in XUAR, species distribution modeling was performed using MaxEnt algorithm assembled with bioclimatic variables and curated tick presence records. The results indicate that potential habitats of H. asiaticum mainly cover the northern and western XUAR. The suitable habitats included the west rim of the Taklimakan Desert, Turpan Basin, and Junggar Basin. The models show a mean area under the curve of 0.865 ± 0.068 for H. asiaticum based on 10-fold cross-validation. Despite limited tick presence records used in the study, this work describes the potential distribution and the association of important bioclimatic variables that are crucial for the survival of H. asiaticum in many arid areas in XUAR. The model could be helpful in tick distribution study and surveillance of CCHFV in the region.