An assessment of the possible recent establishment of Hyalomma rufipes in Hungary

The aim of this study was to assess the viability of an opportunistic population of Hyalomma rufipes, as evidence of reproduction had been documented in the southern part of Central Europe, specifically Hungary, in 2022. To assess the current situation, tick collections targeting various mammalian species were organized with the assistance of local veterinarians between September 2022 and May 2024. Over the study period, 1502 ticks were collected; however, none belonged to the Hyalomma genus. Dermacentor reticulatus dominated in our sample population (n = 963), followed by Ixodes ricinus (n = 436). Other species found in the area were: Haemaphysalis concinna (n = 45), Dermacentor marginatus (n = 38), Ixodes hexagonus (n = 13), Alloceraea inermis (n = 6), and Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.s. (n = 1). Two Hyalomma marginatum males were received from veterinarians between 2022 and 2024, although these were collected far from our study area. Our results suggests that the H. rufipes population recorded in 2022 did not persist.