| first detection of spotted fever group rickettsiae in ixodes ricinus and dermacentor reticulatus ticks in the uk. | a preliminary study was conducted to determine the presence of spotted fever rickettsiae in two species of british tick (ixodes ricinus and dermacentor reticulatus). the 16s rrna gene of rickettsia spp. was detected in 39/401 (9·7%) of ticks tested, including 22/338 (6·5%) i. ricinus and 17/63 (27%) d. reticulatus. some positive i. ricinus samples showed 100% homology with rickettsia helvetica (10/22), and most positive d. reticulatus showed 100% homology with r. raoultii (13/17). five other ric ... | 2010 | 21087541 |