Abstract
BackgroundRickettsioses are among both the longest known and most recently recognized infectious diseases. Although new spotted fever group rickettsiae have been isolated in many parts of the world including China, Little is known about the epidemiology of Rickettsia pathogens in ticks from Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China.MethodsIn an attempt to assess the potential risk of rickettsial infection after exposure to ticks in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, a total of 200 Dermacentor silvarum ticks collected in Xinyuan district were screened by polymerase chain reaction based on the outer membrane protein A gene.Results22 of the 200 specimens (11%) were found to be positive by PCR. Phylogenetic analysis of OmpA sequences identified two rickettsial species, Rickettsia raoultii (4.5%) and Rickettsia slovaca (6.5%).ConclusionsThis study has reported the occurrence of Rickettsia raoultii and Rickettsia slovaca in Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China and suggests that Dermacentor silvarum could be involved in the transmission of rickettsial agents in China. Further studies on the characterization and culture of rickettsial species found in Dermacentor silvarum should be performed to further clarify this. Additionally, the screening of human specimens for rickettsial disease in this region will define the incidence of infection.
Highlights
Rickettsioses are among both the longest known and most recently recognized infectious diseases
Sequencing data of the 22 positive samples indicated two distinct rickettsial species from the 200 ticks screened. Nine of these were identified as R. raoutii and the remaining 13 were R. slovaca
Until the present study R. raoultii had not been definitely reported in China and only two outer membrane protein A (ompA) gene sequences from two isolates from Jilin province had previously been deposited in GenBank (AY093696.1 and DQ188831.1), this was not reported in the literature
Summary
Rickettsioses are among both the longest known and most recently recognized infectious diseases. New spotted fever group rickettsiae have been isolated in many parts of the world including China, Little is known about the epidemiology of Rickettsia pathogens in ticks from Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. Ticks are the main vectors and reservoirs of rickettsial pathogens responsible for spotted fever. The etiological agents belonging to the genus Rickettsia are currently divided into two groups: the typhus group and the spotted fever group. The latter group includes an increasing number of newly identified species
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