Molecular Prevalence and Phylogeny of Tick-Borne Viruses in Meat and Dairy Products in the Republic of Korea

Tick-borne virus detection in livestock and slaughterhouse animals has recently surged in the United States and Europe. Although cases of patients with tick-borne illnesses have been reported in Korea, food contamination from tick-borne viruses has yet to be investigated. Therefore, this study investigated severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) prevalence in meat and dairy products. A total of 628 products were collected from a Korean retail market during 2021-2022, including 195 beef, 130 goats, 90 lambs, 61 pork, 50 chicken, and 38 commercial cheese samples. In addition, 64 raw cow milk samples were collected from a ranch in Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, from 2021 to 2022. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-nPCR), virus cultivation, and sequence analysis were conducted. SFTSV was detected in 1.53% (3/195) beef and 0.76% (1/130) goat meat samples with a low Ct value titer from 33.18 to 38.60. In contrast, SFTSV was neither detected in lamb, pork, chicken, raw milk, or cheese samples nor were TBEV and CCHFV detected in any of the tested samples. Although no existing cases or studies have indicated SFTSV transmittance through food, this study confirmed SFTSV genotype B RNA in SFTSV-positive meat samples. Therefore, monitoring for and evaluating SFTSV-contaminated meat products must be investigated in future studies.