3.1 Significance of the previous research by Traavik and
colleagues
The previous prospective research by Traavik and colleagues has made
innovative contributions in several areas, especially in Acarology,
Ecology and Virology. The knowledge about the coronavirus circulating
among the I. uriae and its seabird hosts provide a hint about the
possibilities of ticks to harbour and transmit coronavirus. Although,
their results cannot be claimed to universally be the case for all
different kinds of tick species and coronavirus. It is hard to
comprehend why this knowledge should be excluded from the raised
questions about the possibilities of any tick species be able to harbour
and circulate coronavirus like SARC-CoV-2. Thus, the information is
vital since there is ample of evidence about the different kinds of tick
species that share ecological niches with potential vertebrate
reservoir, such as bats, seabirds and pangolins (Olival et al., 2017;
Fagre & Kading, 2019; Málková et al., 1985; Dietrich, Go´mez-Dı´az, &
McCoy, 2010; Ramos et al., 2001; Gao et al., 2020; Khatri-Chhetri et
al., 2016; Mohapatra, Panda, Nair,
& Acharjyo, 2016; Robinson, 1983).
Classification of ticks is well done in pangolins consisting of eight
genera and twenty species of ticks described from six species of
pangolins namely, Manis pentadactyla, M. javanica, M.crassicaudata , M. gigantea, M. tricuspis and M.
temminckii . The most intriguing finding is that unassigned ticks that
were described from M. tetradactyla by Robinson (1983).Amblyomma , Rhipicephalus and Aponomma genera of
ticks have been described from the above mentioned Asian and African
pangolin species. Asian pangolins namely, M. pentadactyla, M.
javanica and M. crassicaudata have been associated withAmblyomma javanense . While, African pangolins namely, M.
temminckii, M. tricuspis and M. gigantean have been associated
with Amblyomma compressum (Sanyal, De, Rao, & Acharjyo,
1987; Parola et al., 2003; Mohapatra, Panda, Nair, & Acharjyo, 2016).
Possible geographic distribution
of hard ticks linked with pangolins is provided in figure 2. The
geographic distribution was developed from different research work of
Hassan, Sulaiman and Lian (2013), Kollars and Sithiprasasna (2000),
Parola et al. (2003), Li, Lin, Lan, Pei and Su (2011), Mediannikov et
al. (2012) and Njiokou et al. (2006).
Different reviews of the literature undertaken by Nuttall (1984) and
Chastel (1980), reported that seabird ticks harbour approximately 60
viruses or variants. Evidence about viraemic transmission to seabirds
has been provided by Nunn et al. (2006). Moreover,
Dietrich et al. (2010), reported
that hard ticks prefer to infest seabird colonies in higher latitudes.
The main example is I. uriae , which is the most significant
species when focusing on its host species assortment and geographical
distribution (Pettersson et al., 2020).
Possible geographic distribution
of hard ticks linked with seabirds is provided in figure 3. The
geographic distribution was developed from the research work of Dietrich
et al. (2010).
Several landmark studies observed associate phylogenetically viruses in
bats with various arboviruses which can be transmitted by ticks (Fagre
& Kading, 2019). Isolation results are providing evidence of bats being
responsible for viruses isolated from either soft ticks or hard ticks.
For instance, a study of Málková et al. (1985), provides evidence, whereOrnithodoros tadaridae ticks obtained from a palm tree colonized
by Cuban bats were found to be infected with Estero real virus.
Recently, different kinds of Ixodes species (i.e. Ixodes
ariadnae , I. simplex and I. vespertilionis ) andDermacentor reticulatus have been associated with bats (Sándor et
al., 2019). Possible geographic
distribution of hard ticks linked with bats is provided in figure 4. The
geographic distribution was developed from different research work of
Zahn and Rupp (2004), Hornok et al. (2014) and Hornok et al. (2016).