Abstract
BackgroundRickettsial diseases associated with the spotted fever group constitute a growing number of newly identified Rickettsia pathogens and their tick vectors in various parts of the world. At least 15 distinct tick species belonging to six genera have shown the presence of Rickettsia raoultii. Herein, we report the detection of R. raoultii in ticks from the Republic of Korea (ROK).MethodsThirty-five ticks were collected from 29 patients with tick bites in Gwangju Metropolitan City, Jeollanam Province, ROK. The ticks were identified using molecular, morphological, and taxonomic characteristics. All samples were screened for presence of Rickettsia species using nested polymerase chain reactions of their outer membrane protein (ompA) and citrate synthase (gltA) genes. The amplified products were sequenced for subsequent phylogenetic analyses.ResultsSequencing data showed the DNA sequences of R. raoultii in three Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks. All three tick samples were 99.4–100% similar to previously reported partial sequences of ompA of R. raoultii strains CP019435 and MF002523, which formed a single clade with the reference strains.ConclusionsWe provide the first description and molecular identification of R. raoultii detected in H. longicornis ticks in the ROK. This observation extends the geographical distribution of R. raoultii. Screening of human samples for this pathogen will provide information about the prevalence of rickettsial infections in this region.Graphical
Highlights
Rickettsial diseases associated with the spotted fever group constitute a growing number of newly identified Rickettsia pathogens and their tick vectors in various parts of the world
In 1999, Dermacentor nuttalli and Rhipicephalus pumilio ticks collected in the southern parts of the former Soviet Union were shown to harbor these bacteria [3]; thereafter, other species of Dermacentor ticks (i.e., D. reticulatus, D. marginatus, D. silvarum, and D. niveus) from various parts of the former Soviet Union, as well as from France, Spain, and Germany, were shown to carry these bacteria [5, 9]
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to amplify the outer membrane protein A (ompA) and gltA gene fragments for identification of spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsial disease agents were conducted on all 35 ticks
Summary
Rickettsial diseases associated with the spotted fever group constitute a growing number of newly identified Rickettsia pathogens and their tick vectors in various parts of the world. At least 15 distinct tick species belonging to six genera have shown the presence of Rickettsia raoultii. We report the detection of R. raoultii in ticks from the Republic of Korea (ROK). The major clinical manifestations of R. raoultii infections include scalp eschar and neck lymphadenopathy. These were termed Dermacentor-borne necrosis erythema and lymphadenopathy or tick-borne lymphadenopathy [2]. R. raoultii was detected in other hard ticks too, such as Haemaphysalis, Rhipicephalus, Hyalomma, and Ambylomma, which are observed predominantly in Europe and Asia [10]. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report providing molecular evidence of R. raoultii in ticks from the ROK
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
