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Introduction: The Alpharhabdovirinae subfamily of the family Rhabdoviridae encompasses a diverse and expanding group of tick-borne viruses, some of which pose potential risks as emerging human pathogens. Despite increasing detection through metagenomic surveillance, the global diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and taxonomic framework of tick-borne Alpharhabdovirinae (TBA) remain poorly characterized. Methods: This study conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of all publicly available TBA sequences based on phylogenetic analysis of five structural proteins (N, P, M, G, L), combined with host associations and geographic distributions. Results: 345 TBA strains were classified into 12 distinct phylogenetic clusters, each exhibiting unique evolutionary and ecological characteristics. These clusters include: (1) seven species-level lineages within the genus Alpharicinrhavirus, predominantly associated with Hyalomma and Haemaphysalis ticks across Eurasia; (2) a cluster related to Manly virus, widely distributed in Amblyomma, Haemaphysalis, and Rhipicephalus ticks acrossAustralia and China, exhibiting additional protein-coding genes of unknown function; (3) the genus Ledantevirus (21 species), characterized by broad host tropism including bats, rodents, and humans, with some members displaying phosphoprotein phylogenetic anomalies suggestive of recombination; (4) the genus Lostrhavirus, together with Tongliao Rhabd tick virus 1, forming a cluster associated with Hyalomma and Amblyomma ticks; (5) a Mononegavirus cluster comprising Alpharicinrhavirus heilongjiang, Alpharicinrhavirus skanevik (Norway mononegavirus 1), and Mononegavirales sp. specifically associated with Ixodesticks in Eurasia; and (6) one clusters with incomplete protein repertoires and uncertain taxonomic positions, including Tahe rhabdovirus 3 and Yanbian Rhabd tick virus 1 which lacks phosphoprotein entirely. This study provide a refined phylogenetic framework for TBA viruses, clarify their evolutionary relationships, and highlight critical knowledge gaps, including numerous uncharacterized hypothetical proteins and incomplete genomes that warrant further investigation. Discussion: This study underscores the importance of enhanced global surveillance and genomic characterization to assess the emergence potential and public health threat posed by this diverse group of tick-borne viruses.
Wu et al. (Fri,) studied this question.