(Vienna, 09 June 2026) – Researchers at the Center for Virology at MedUni Vienna have detected the presence of the Alongshan virus in Austria for the first time. In their study, currently published in the leading journal The Lancet Microbe, they use genetic analyses of tick samples to show that the virus has been present in Central Europe for at least 20 years.
For the study, the research team analysed around 3,000 ticks collected in Austria in 2024, 2,000 archived tick samples from 2005 to 2018, and around 2,000 blood samples from patients using molecular biological and serological methods. The investigations show that the Alongshan virus (ALSV) has been circulating in domestic ticks for at least 20 years.
"The results confirm the widespread geographical distribution of ALSV in Austria, with evidence found in Vienna, Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Styria and Vorarlberg," says Judith Aberle, Professor of Virus Immunology at the Center for Virology at MedUni Vienna and head of the study. Although the virus could not be detected in any of the patient samples examined, high levels of ALSV-specific antibodies were found in two individuals. "This shows that infections have already occurred, even if they are apparently rare," says Aberle.
Virus in need of further research
Tick-borne viral diseases are on the rise worldwide and pose a growing health risk. Well-known pathogens such as the TBE virus and the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus cause tens of thousands of infections worldwide every year. In recent years, several new tick-borne viruses have also been identified, including the Alongshan virus, which was first discovered in China in 2017 in patients with feverish illnesses. There are now indications of its presence in several European countries, including Germany, Finland, France and Switzerland. The study from Austria now provides the most extensive and earliest documentation of the virus to date.
While the variant originally described in China is associated with fever and TBE-like symptoms, it is still unclear whether the virus variants circulating in Europe cause any disease in humans at all, according to Aberle. Further large-scale studies are needed to clarify the health relevance and spread of ALSV. Given its continued circulation in domestic tick populations, the Alongshan virus should be included in surveillance programmes for tick-borne pathogens and in the diagnostic investigation of diseases following tick bites.
Publication: The Lancet Microbe
Widespread circulation of Alongshan virus in Austria and serologic evidence for human infection: a molecular and serological study.
David M. Florian, Paul Jetzinger, Anna-Margarita Schötta, Iris Medits-Weiss, Moritz Irgang, Cara L. Ebert, Michael Bauer, Amelie Popovitsch, Agnes Leitner, Simon Raffl,
Emilie Han, Stefanie C. Becker, Armin Deutz, Salih Ahmeti, Petra Emmerich, Mateusz Markowicz, Georg G. Duscher, Stephan W. Aberle, Michiel Wijnveld, Karin Stiasny, Jeremy V. Camp, Judith H. Aberle.
DOI: 10.1016/j.lanmic.2026.101404
The study was conducted at the Medical University of Vienna in collaboration with AGES and the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg.