| detection of rickettsia helvetica dna from peripheral blood of sika deer (cervus nippon yesoensis) in japan. | partial nucleotide sequences of the citrate synthase and 17-kda genes of rickettsia helvetica were detected from peripheral blood samples of sika deer (cervus nippon yesoensis) in hokkaido, japan. results suggest the presence of a rickettsiemia associated with r. helvetica. this is the first evidence of r. helvetica infection in sika deer and indicates that this species may represent a potential reservoir host of r. helvetica in japan. | 2008 | 18263833 |