A survey was conducted to determine the human tick-borne bacterial infections in the nymphs which were collected from Western Ghats’ fringe forest areas. Tick nymphs were collected using the flagging method from the villages where cases Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) were previously reported in the states of Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra. A total of 200 tick pools consisting of 4587 nymphs were tested by PCR for the detection of bacteria of public health importance, such as Coxiella burnetii and Rickettsia spp. Of these, four pools (4.8%) in Karnataka and three pools (4.4%) in Maharashtra were positive for Coxiella burnetii, while none of the samples from Goa state were positive. Rickettsia spp. were positively obtained from Maharashtra (51.5%), Goa (35.42%) and Karnataka (26.19%). The sequence results of Rickettsia spp. showed similarity to the spotted fever group Candidatus Rickettsia shennongii, Rickettsia conorii subsp. heilongjiangensis and Rickettsia spp. strain koreansis. Individuals are entering into the forest areas for various reasons are more likely to infect with Coxiella burnetii. and Rickettsia spp.

Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), first reported in 1957 in the Shimoga district of Karnataka, India, has spread significantly over the past two decades, reaching both northern and southern states, with reports of monkey deaths. Haemaphysalis spp. ticks are the primary vectors, transmitting the disease to monkeys, humans, and other mammals. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, mean abundance, and mean intensity of Ixodidae ticks, including the KFD vector, in domestic animals across selected localities of the Western Ghats. A total of 2877 domestic animals were surveyed, revealing an overall tick prevalence of 44.91% (CI: 43.10–46.73), with sheep showing the highest prevalence at 47.92% (CI: 40.96–54.95). The most abundant tick species was Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, with a mean of 2.53 ± 0.66 ticks per host, which also represented the most proportionally dominant species, accounting for 39.63% of the total ticks collected. The highest mean intensity was recorded for Haemaphysalis intermedia (7.35 ± 2.03 ticks per infested animal). Regionally, Rh. (Bo.) microplus was found in 96.15% of buffaloes examined in Tamil Nadu, Haemaphysalis bispinosa in 85.19% of cattle in Maharashtra, and in 98.46% of goats in Goa. Ha. intermedia was common in 99.11% of sheep examined in Karnataka, while Ha. bispinosa was observed in 90.82% of goats in Kerala. The proportional representation of the KFD vector Haemaphysalis spinigera was 0.97%, with a mean intensity of 2.34 ± 0.04 ticks per infested animal and an overall mean abundance of 0.06 ± 0.01 ticks per host. Adult Ha. spinigera were recorded from cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, and dogs; however, no nymphs were detected. This study also reports the first documented occurrence of Ixodes ceylonensis in domestic animals. These findings suggest a notable presence of tick infestations in the region and emphasize the importance of continued surveillance and targeted control measures to better understand and manage potential KFD transmission risks in the Western Ghats.

The Western Ghats of India support a diverse assemblage of Ixodid ticks, including multiple vectors of Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), yet comprehensive data from forest-fringe landscapes outside recognised outbreak zones remain limited. To address this gap, we undertook a multi-state, cross-sectional survey across 44 forest-fringe villages distributed within seven ecological grids spanning Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu during peak nymphal activity (December–February). Standardized flagging method yielded 10,350 ticks representing 24 taxa across four genera, including 12 recognised KFD vectors. Haemaphysalis spinigera and Haemaphysalis turturis were the most abundant and widespread species in both historically affected and unaffected districts, indicating that ecological suitability for primary vectors extends substantially beyond the spatial extent of human case reporting. Species richness, Shannon diversity, Simpson diversity, and total abundance exhibited pronounced spatial heterogeneity, with multiple villages in Karnataka and Kerala supporting the highest diversity, while clusters in Goa and Maharashtra exhibited depauperate assemblages dominated by one or two Haemaphysalis species. These community patterns suggest fine-scale variation in habitat suitability within forest-fringe mosaics shaped by land-cover transitions and vegetation structure. Joint Species Distribution Modelling (JSDM) revealed that tick assemblages respond to interacting climatic, habitat, terrain, and temporal gradients. Precipitation, NDVI-derived vegetation structure, land-cover categories, slope-derived terrain metrics, seasonal timing, and inter-annual variation collectively influenced species distributions, demonstrating multidimensional environmental filtering. Distinct and sometimes contrasting predictor–response relationships among taxa highlight niche differentiation within the tick community. Moderate residual correlations among several species pairs further indicate shared habitat preferences or unmeasured ecological processes such as host movement patterns, understory complexity, and microhabitat moisture retention. Together, these findings provide the most geographically extensive ecological assessment of Ixodid ticks in the Western Ghats. The widespread distribution of multiple KFD vectors in districts without confirmed human cases, underscores the urgent need for proactive ecological surveillance, integration of fine-scale environmental data, and landscape-based risk forecasting. Strengthened surveillance frameworks incorporating habitat metrics, host information, and pathogen screening will be critical for anticipating shifts in vector distributions and mitigating emerging tick-borne disease threats in the region.