Publications

tick zoonoses in the southern part of switzerland (canton ticino): occurrence of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and rickettsia sp.	the diversity and the distribution of tick species and their infection rates by the pathogenic micro-organism borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the etiologic agent of lyme borreliosis, and rickettsia sp., were studied in canton ticino (the southern part of switzerland). ticks specimens collected from animals and humans were classified and analysed for the presence of both pathogens. in particular, pcr analysis was performed for the detection of borrelia spirochetes in ixodes ricinus and ixodes he ...	1997	9085007
characterization of a spotted fever group rickettsia from ixodes ricinus ticks in sweden.	a spotted fever group rickettsia isolated from the common tick, ixodes ricinus, was genetically characterized by pcr and genomic sequencing. this study was performed with nymphal and adult ticks collected in southern and central sweden. i. ricinus is the only north european tick species of medical importance which is regularly collected from humans. no species of the genus rickettsia has previously been found in scandinavian ticks, nor has any case of domestic rickettsial infection in humans or ...	1997	8968916
serological studies of an acid-labile o-polysaccharide of proteus vulgaris ox19 lipopolysaccharide using human and rabbit antibodies.	in a weil-felix test, sera from patients infected with rickettsia sp. agglutinate proteus ox types of bacteria and proteus lipopolysaccharide (lps) are responsible for the cross-reaction. data on the character of lps of one of the ox group strains, proteus vulgaris ox19, are contradictory, and it remained unclear whether it has an o-polysaccharide (ops) and is thus lps of the smooth type (s) or not (rough-type lps). our studies showed that p. vulgaris ox19 (strain pzh-24) produces a smooth-type ...	1998	9858461
[new and emerging rickettsial and bartonella infections].	there have been recently reports on over 10 new and resurgent rickettsioses and bartonelloses in different countries, which reflects both socioeconomic processes in society and a higher methodological level of indication and identification of causative agents. in 1991, the author' laboratory, n. f. gamaleya research institute of experimental medicine, russian academy of medical sciences, established the etiology of the new rickettsiosis astrakhan spotted fever. it separated and studied 2 strains ...	2001	11837209
ultrastructure of a haplosporidian containing rickettsiae, associated with mortalities among cultured paua haliotis iris.	uninucleate and multinucleate stages of a protozoan parasite are described from cultured abalone haliotis iris martyn, 1784 in new zealand. the parasite is identified as a haplosporidian by the occurrence of multinucleate plasmodia, mitochondria with tubular cristae, lipid droplets, anastomosing endoplasmic reticulum (aer), multivesicular bodies (mvbs), haplosporogenesis by the production of haplosporosome-like bodies from nuclear membrane-bound golgi, and their maturation to haplosporosomes. co ...	2002	12113307
genetic diversity of bacterial agents detected in ticks removed from asymptomatic patients in northeastern italy.	a total of 360 ticks were removed from 353 asymptomatic subjects in belluno province, italy and surrounding areas, from 1998 to 2001. ticks were identified as ixodes ricinus (357), ixodes hexagonus (1), rhipicephalus sanguineus (1), and ixodes ventalloi (1). tick dna was investigated by pcr and subsequent sequencing of amplified products to identity associated bacterial agents. primers targeting different genes of rickettsia (glta and ompa), borrelia (16s rdna, rpob), francisella (16s rdna), and ...	2003	12860623
detection of ehrlichia spp., anaplasma spp., rickettsia spp., and other eubacteria in ticks from the thai-myanmar border and vietnam.	a total of 650 ticks, including 13 species from five genera, were collected from animals, from people, or by flagging of the vegetation at sites on the thai-myanmar border and in vietnam. they were tested by pcr to detect dna of bacteria of the order rickettsiales: three anaplasma spp. were detected in ticks collected in thailand, including (i) anaplasma sp. strain anda465, which was considered a genotype of anaplasma platys (formerly ehrlichia platys) and which was obtained from dermacentor aur ...	2003	12682151
molecular evidence for a spotted fever group rickettsia species in the tick amblyomma longirostre in brazil.	two amblyomma longirostre adult male ticks were collected from a brazilian porcupine coendou prehensilis l. in the state of rondonia, western amazon, brazil. the two ticks were pooled for dna extraction and tested for the presence of rickettsial dna by amplifying portions of the glta, 17-kda, ompa, and ompb rickettsial genes by polymerase chain reaction (pcr). portions of the four genes were amplified from the sample and subsequently sequenced. these results indicated the presence of a rickettsi ...	2004	15185961
pathogens and symbionts in ticks: prevalence of anaplasma phagocytophilum (ehrlichia sp.), wolbachia sp., rickettsia sp., and babesia sp. in southern germany.	tick-transmitted diseases like tick-borne encephalitis and lyme borreliosis have been well known in germany for decades. ongoing research now gives an additional focus to a broad range of other bacteria and parasites in ticks like anaplasma phagocytophilum, former ehrlichia sp., rickettsia sp. and babesia sp. knowledge about the prevalence of these infectious agents in ticks is an important prerequisite for risk assessment of human diseases. therefore nymphs and adult ixodes ricinus ticks were c ...	2004	15146989
detection of a rickettsia closely related to rickettsia aeschlimannii, "rickettsia heilongjiangensis," rickettsia sp. strain rpa4, and ehrlichia muris in ticks collected in russia and kazakhstan.	using pcr, we screened 411 ticks from four genera collected in russia and kazakhstan for the presence of rickettsiae and ehrlichiae. in russia, we detected "rickettsia heilongjiangensis," rickettsia sp. strain rpa4, and ehrlichia muris. in kazakhstan, we detected rickettsia sp. strain rpa4 and a rickettsia closely related to rickettsia aeschlimannii. these agents should be considered in a differential diagnosis of tick-borne infections in these areas.	2004	15131195
evidence of rickettsial and leptospira infections in andean northern peru.	between may and october 2002, a cluster of acute febrile illnesses occurred in the subtropical andean foothills of peru. serologic evidence in villages where disease had been documented showed that the prevalence of igm antibody to leptospira ranged from 6% to 52%, that of igm antibody to spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsia ranged from 10% to 19%, and that of igm antibody to coxiella burnetii from 1% to 15%. measurement of igg antibodies for sfg rickettsiae suggested that this disease was endem ...	2004	15100447
detection and identification of rickettsia helvetica and rickettsia sp. irs3/irs4 in ixodes ricinus ticks found on humans in spain.		2004	15252721
continous alert for rickettsiosis in sicily: molecular characterization of rickettsia sp. obtained from ticks and human beings (1986-2001).	several strains of rickettsia sp. were isolated from patients in western sicily with msf (mediterranean spotted fever) as well as ticks. strains isolated were examined by pcr and identified as belonging to r. conorii sp. importantly a strain of israeli spotted fever rickettsiae, obtained from a tick, was also identified. our data prove that strains other than the classical r. conorii also circulate in sicily.	2005	16386024
use of shell-vial cell culture assay for isolation of bacteria from clinical specimens: 13 years of experience.	the shell-vial culture assay is performed routinely in our laboratory. recently we revisited our experience of using the shell-vial culture assay for the isolation of microorganisms from various clinical samples. over a 13-year period, we have isolated 580 bacterial strains (5%) from 11,083 clinical samples tested. over the same period, 285 isolates of rickettsiae, bartonellae, or coxiella burnetii were cultured from a total of 7,102 samples tested. these isolates include 55 rickettsia sp. isola ...	2005	16207953
new gammaproteobacteria associated with blood-feeding leeches and a broad phylogenetic analysis of leech endosymbionts.	many monophagous animals have coevolutionary relationships with bacteria that provide unavailable nutrients to the host. frequently, these microbial partners are vertically inherited and reside in specialized structures or tissues. here we report three new lineages of bacterial symbionts of blood-feeding leeches, one from the giant amazonian leech, haementeria ghilianii, and two others from placobdelloides species. these hosts each possess a different mycetome or esophageal organ morphology wher ...	2005	16151107
phylogenetic analysis of a novel molecular isolate of spotted fever group rickettsiae from northern peru: candidatus rickettsia andeanae.	phylogenetic analysis of five rickettsial genes (17-kda gene, glta, ompb, ompa, and sca4) from two molecular isolates of candidatus rickettsia andeanae from two ticks (amblyomma maculatum and ixodes boliviensis) collected from two domestic horses living in two separate locations in northern peru (coletas and naranjo) was conducted to more clearly characterize this recently reported novel spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsia. following nested polymerase chain reaction (pcr) amplification of the 1 ...	2005	16481537
detection of members of the genera rickettsia, anaplasma, and ehrlichia in ticks collected in the asiatic part of russia.	a total of 395 adult ixodid ticks from three genera (dermacentor, haemaphysalis, and ixodes) collected from the urals to the far east of russia were tested by pcr and sequencing for the presence of spotted fever rickettsiae, anaplasmae, and ehrlichiae. four, pathogens recognized in humans were detected in ticks: rickettsia sibirica, r. heilongjiangensis, r. helvetica, and anaplasma phagocytophilum. in addition, rickettsiae and ehrlichiae of unknown pathogenicity were detected, including ricketts ...	2006	17114745
the occurrence of spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae in ixodes ricinus ticks (acari: ixodidae) in northern poland.	ixodes ricinus, the most commonly observed tick species in poland, is known vector of microorganisms pathogenic for humans as tbe virus, borrelia burgdorferi s.1., anaplasma phagocytophilum and babesia sp. in this country. our study aimed to find out whether this tick can also transmit also rickettsiae of the spotted fever group (sfg). dna extracts from 560 ticks (28 females, 34 males, and 488 nymphs) collected in different wooded areas in northern poland were examined by pcr for the detection o ...	2006	17114767
ticks (ixodidae) from passerine birds in the carpathian region.	birds have been found to be a reservoir host of borrelia. in order to assess the situation in slovakia ticks were collected from a total of 3057 mist-netted, ringed and released passerine birds in two locations at 500 m (in 2001) and 1000 m (in 2003) above sea level in the bukovské vrchy hills, part of the carpathian region in the north-east of slovakia. a total of 75 birds of 16 species were infested with subadult ticks of ixodes ricinus species (prevalence of parasitization 5%). sixty-two larv ...	2006	17186172
detection of spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae in dermacentor reticulatus (acari: ixodidae) in poland.	dermacentor reticulatus ticks from poland were investigated by molecular methods for the presence of rickettsiae. during 2003/2004, a total of 285 adult ticks was assayed using primers rpcs.877 and rpcs.1258 derived from the citrate synthase (glta) gene, and 116 samples (40.7%) were positive for rickettsial dna. ten out of these positive samples were further assayed using slo1f and slo1r primers derived form the rompa-encoding gene to confirm that detected rickettsiae belong to the spotted fever ...	2006	16524778
evidence for an increased geographical distribution of dermacentor reticulatus in germany and detection of rickettsia sp. rpa4.	two studies were performed to elucidate the current distribution of the tick dermacentor reticulatus in germany. in the first one in 2003, a total of 365 dogs from 171 sites in the states of berlin and brandenburg was screened for ticks, and the corresponding outdoor sites that the dogs usually visited were searched for host-seeking ticks by the flagging method. a total of 1155 ticks was removed from the dogs. the majority were ixodes ricinus (88.5%), followed by d. reticulatus (9.1%) and i. hex ...	2006	16524777
detection of rickettsia rickettsii and rickettsia sp. in blood clots in 24 patients from different municipalities of the state of sao paulo, brazil.	the authors detected rickettsia genus organisms using shell vial and polymerase chain reaction (pcr)/sequencing analysis in blood clots in patients suspected of having brazilian spotted fever (bsf). dna was detected using pcr with three sets of primers to access the glta, ompa, and ompb genes. sequence analysis was carried out using an automatic sequencer with bioedit software. seventy-five percent of the culture samples were positive and all samples amplified rickettsial gene fragments. to date ...	2006	17114719
prevalence of rickettsia felis in ctenocephalides felis and ctenocephalides canis from uruguay.	our aim was to determine the presence of rickettsia spp. in 66 fleas from uruguay. rickettsial dna was amplified using glta and ompb pcr primers. rickettsia spp. were found in 41% of the fleas (25 ctenocephalides felis and 2 ctenocephlides canis). sequences resulted in the identification of rickettsia felis and four genotypes closely related to this species (rickettsia sp. twkm03, california 2, hf187, and rf2125). the presence of r. felis in fleas from uruguay in was demonstrated. this is the se ...	2006	17114726
prevalence of anaplasma phagocytophilum, rickettsia sp. and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato dna in questing ixodes ricinus ticks from france.	a total of 4701 ixodes ricinus, collected during the summer of 2003, were analyzed for three pathogens. dna was detected from the three pathogens. co-detection of more than one pathogen was observed.	2006	17114729
prevalence of spotted fever group rickettsia species detected in ticks in la rioja, spain.	our objective was to learn the prevalence of spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsia detected in ticks in la rioja, in the north of spain. from 2001 to 2005, 496 ticks representing 7 tick species were analysed at the hospital de la rioja. ticks were removed from humans with or without rickettsial syndrome (n = 59) or collected from mammals (n = 371) or from vegetation by dragging (n = 66). the presence of sfg rickettsia in these ticks was investigated by semi-nested pcr (ompa gene) and sequencing. ...	2006	17114730
spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks feeding on humans in northwestern spain: is rickettsia conorii vanishing?	during a 7-year study, we identified and analyzed by pcr 4,049 ticks removed from 3,685 asymptomatic patients in castilla y león (northwestern spain). a total of 320 ticks (belonging to 10 species) were pcr-positive for rickettsiae. comparison of amplicon sequences in databases enabled us to identify eight different spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae: rickettsia slovaca, rickettsia sp. irs3/irs4, r. massiliae/bar29, r. aeschlimannii, rickettsia sp. rpa4/dns14, r. helvetica, rickettsia sp. dms ...	2006	17114733
population survey of egyptian arthropods for rickettsial agents.	between june 2002 and july 2003, 987 fleas, representing four species, and 1019 ticks, representing one argasid and eight ixodid species, were collected from egyptian animals. these arthropods were tested for rickettsial agents using polymerase chain reaction. dnas from anaplasma and ehrlichia spp. were detected in 13 ticks. previously undescribed bartonella spp. were detected in 21 fleas. coxiella burnetii was detected in two fleas and 20 ticks. rickettsia typhi was detected in 27 fleas from 10 ...	2006	17114742
ticks and tick-borne rickettsiae surveillance in montesinho natural park, portugal.	this study constitutes the first contribution to the knowledge of tick dynamics and its implication in the epidemiology of rickettsial diseases in montesinho natural park (mnp), bragança district of portugal. of 76 ticks collected, 12 (15.8%) were dermacentor (d.) marginatus, 36 (47.4%) d. reticulatus, and 28 (36.8%) rhipicephalus (r.) sanguineus. isolation assays were performed by shell-vial technique on 41 ticks. israeli spotted fever strain was an isolate from r. sanguineus, and three isolate ...	2006	17114695
tick-borne rickettsial pathogens in ticks and small mammals in korea.	in order to investigate the prevalence of tick-borne infectious agents among ticks, ticks comprising five species from two genera (hemaphysalis spp. and ixodes spp.) were screened using molecular techniques. ticks (3,135) were collected from small wild-caught mammals or by dragging/flagging in the republic of korea (rok) and were pooled into a total of 1,638 samples (1 to 27 ticks per pool). from the 1,638 tick samples, species-specific fragments of anaplasma phagocytophilum (1 sample), anaplasm ...	2006	16957192
surveillance of egyptian fleas for agents of public health significance: anaplasma, bartonella, coxiella, ehrlichia, rickettsia, and yersinia pestis.	serologic surveys in egypt have documented human and animal exposure to vector-borne bacterial pathogens, but the presence and distribution of these agents in arthropods has not been determined. between july 2002 and july 2003, fleas were collected from 221 mammals trapped in 17 cities throughout egypt. a total of 987 fleas were collected, representing four species (ctenocephalides felis, echidnophaga gallinacea, leptopsylla segnis, and xenopsylla cheopis); 899 of these fleas were x. cheopis fro ...	2006	16837707
rickettsia tamurae sp. nov., isolated from amblyomma testudinarium ticks.	rickettsia sp. strain at-1(t) was isolated from amblyomma testudinarium ticks in japan in 1993. comparative analysis of sequences obtained from 16s rrna, glta, ompa, ompb and sca4 gene fragments demonstrated those from at-1(t) to be markedly different from those of other members of the spotted fever group. using mouse serotyping, it was also observed that rickettsia sp. strain at-1(t) was different from other rickettsia species with validly published names. such genotypic and phenotypic characte ...	2006	16825648
identification and localization of a rickettsia sp. in bemisia tabaci (homoptera: aleyrodidae).	whiteflies (homoptera: aleyrodidae) are sap-sucking insects that harbor "candidatus portiera aleyrodidarum," an obligatory symbiotic bacterium which is housed in a special organ called the bacteriome. these insects are also home for a diverse facultative microbial community which may include hamiltonella, arsenophonus, fritchea, wolbachia, and cardinium spp. in this study, the bacteria associated with a b biotype of the sweet potato whitefly bemisia tabaci were characterized using molecular fing ...	2006	16672513
rickettsiae of the spotted-fever group in ixodid ticks from hungary: identification of a new genotype ('candidatus rickettsia kotlanii').	three common european 'anthrophilic' ticks, ixodes ricinus, haemaphysalis concinna and dermacentor reticulatus, were collected in hungary and tested, in assays based on nested pcr, for rickettsiae of the spotted-fever group. low percentages of i. ricinus (2.7%) and h. concinna (1.0%) and a high percentage of d. reticulatus (26.8%) were found to be infected. the rickettsiae in the ticks were then identified, by sequencing of the genes coding for 16s ribosomal rna (16s rdna), citrate synthase (glt ...	2006	16630380
rickettsia slovaca infection: debonel/tibola.	this study describes the epidemiological, clinical, and microbiological characteristics of a new tick-borne disease in spain-dermacentor-borne necrosis erythema lymphadenopathy (debonel). the clinical presentations include an eschar at the site of the tick bite, surrounded by an erythema and painful regional lymphadenopathy. the disease appears during the colder months and its vector is dermacentor marginatus (d. marginatus). from january 1990 to december 2004, 54 patients presented at hospital ...	2006	17114711
detection of "rickettsia sp. strain uilenbergi" and "rickettsia sp. strain davousti" in amblyomma tholloni ticks from elephants in africa.	to date, 6 tick-borne rickettsiae pathogenic for humans are known to occur in africa and 4 of them were first identified in ticks before being recognized as human pathogens.	2007	17683629
detection of a novel spotted fever group rickettsia in amblyomma parvum ticks (acari: ixodidae) from argentina.	the present study evaluated the rickettsial infection in amblyomma parvum ticks collected in northwestern córdoba province, argentina. each tick was subjected to dna extraction and tested by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) targeting fragments of the rickettsial genes glta and ompb. nine (69.2%) out of 13 adult ticks yielded expected pcr products for the two rickettsial genes. products from the ompb pcr were sequenced, generating dna sequences 100% identical for the nine pcr-positive ticks. three ...	2007	17768597
bartonella and rickettsia from fleas (siphonaptera: ceratophyllidae) of prairie dogs (cynomys spp.) from the western united states.	fleas of prairie dogs have been implicated in the transmission of bartonella spp. we used pcr to test dna extracts from 47 fleas of prairie dogs from 6 states. we amplified dna from 5 unique genotypes of bartonella spp. and 1 rickettsia sp. from 12 fleas collected in north dakota, oklahoma, texas, and wyoming. sequences from the bartonella spp. were similar, but not identical, to those from prairie dogs and their fleas in colorado.	2007	17918386
highly prevalent coxiella sp. bacterium in the tick vector amblyomma americanum.	laboratory-reared and field-collected amblyomma americanum ticks were hosts of a coxiella sp. and a rickettsia sp. while the coxiella sp. was detected in 50 of 50 field-collected ticks, the rickettsia sp. was absent from 32% of ticks. the coxiella sp. showed evidence of a reduced genome and may be an obligate endosymbiont.	2007	17085709
ticks and associated pathogens collected from domestic animals in the netherlands.	following an outbreak of autochthonous canine babesiosis in the netherlands, a request made to veterinarians and the public to collect ticks from companion animals resulted in 4298 ticks submitted between july 2005 and october 2006 to our center. ticks were identified as ixodes ricinus adults (2907/4298, 67.6%), ixodes sp. nymphs (529/4298, 12.3%) and ixodes sp. larvae (385/4298, 9.0%), i. hexagonus adults (328/4298, 7.6%), dermacentor reticulatus (72/4298, 1.7%), and several other exotic tick s ...	2007	17979540
the role of wild boar (sus scrofa) in the eco-epidemiology of r. slovaca in northeastern spain.	rickettsia slovaca is considered the etiological agent of tick-borne lymphadenopathy (tibola), an emerging disease transmitted by tick bites. dermacentor marginatus constitutes the most important vector and wild boar (sus scrofa) is the main wild host in our area. the epidemiology of this tick-borne rickettsioses has not been completely clarified. during hunting season 2004, wild boar sera sample were collected from northeastern spain. ticks were collected both from wild boar and from flagging v ...	2007	17417958
antibiotic treatment of the tick vector amblyomma americanum reduced reproductive fitness.	the lone star tick amblyomma americanum is a common pest and vector of infectious diseases for humans and other mammals in the southern and eastern united states. a coxiella sp. bacterial endosymbiont was highly prevalent in both laboratory-reared and field-collected a. americanum. the coxiella sp. was demonstrated in all stages of tick and in greatest densities in nymphs and adult females, while a rickettsia sp. was less prevalent and in lower densities when present.	2007	17476327
[clinical and serological evidence of canine rickettsiosis in chile].	rickettsial infections in pets have not been documented in chile. some of those infections have relevant zoonotic potential.	2007	17554436
human infection with rickettsia sp. related to r. japonica, thailand.		2007	17561579
rickettsia sp. strain rpa4 detected in portuguese dermacentor marginatus ticks.	dermacentor marginatus species is the common vector of rickettsia slovaca. recently, a new rickettsia genotype, rpa4, was detected in several dermacentor sp. ticks in several countries of the former soviet union and in spain. in an epidemiological surveillance study, ninety-eight d. marginatus, collected in the south of portugal in spring of 2003 and 2004, were screened by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) to detect rickettsiae. overall, 59.2% of the ticks were pcr-positive, among them 34.5% were ...	2007	17627441
isolation of rickettsia rhipicephali and rickettsia bellii from haemaphysalis juxtakochi ticks in the state of são paulo, brazil.	in the present study, attempts to isolate rickettsia in cell culture were performed individually in seven specimens of haemaphysalis juxtakochi ticks collected in the state of são paulo (southeastern brazil). rickettsia was successfully isolated by the shell vial technique and established in vero cell culture from six ticks (six isolates). dna extracted from infected cells of these isolates was tested by pcr and dna sequencing, using genus-specific rickettsia primers targeting the genes glta, ht ...	2007	17142361
serologic and molecular characterization of tickborne pathogens in lions (panthera leo) from the fasano safari park, italy.	lions (panthera leo) are an endangered species threatened by illegal hunting, habitat loss, and infectious diseases. little is known about the tick-borne pathogens that infect lions and could contribute to population declines. the objective of this study was to characterize rickettsia spp., anaplasma phagocytophilum, and coxiella burnetii infections in 10 lions from the fasano safari park in italy by serology, polymerase chain reaction, and sequence analysis. although animals did not show clinic ...	2007	18229868
detection of borrelia lusitaniae, rickettsia sp. irs3, rickettsia monacensis, and anaplasma phagocytophilum in ixodes ricinus collected in madeira island, portugal.	a total of 300 ixodes ricinus ticks were tested by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) for the presence of borrelia spp., rickettsia spp., and anaplasma phagocytophilum. sequence analysis demonstrated 8 (2.7%) ticks infected with b. lusitaniae, 60 (20%) with rickettsia spp., and 1 (0.3%) with a. phagocytophilum. seven (2.3%) ticks were coinfected with b. lusitaniae and rickettsia spp., 2 (0.6%) with r. monacensis, and 5 (1.7%) with rickettsia sp. irs3. the results of this study suggest simultaneous ...	2008	18454598
spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks, morocco.	a total of 370 ticks, encompassing 7 species from 4 genera, were collected during 2002-2006 from domestic animals and vegetation in the taza region of northeastern morocco. rickettsial dna was identified in 101 ticks (27%) by sequencing pcr products of fragments of the citrate synthase and outer membrane protein genes of rickettsia spp. seven rickettsiae of the spotted fever group were identified, including 4 pathogens: r. aeschlimannii in hyalomma marginatum marginatum, r. massiliae in rhipicep ...	2008	18598627
spotted fever group rickettsia in ticks from southeastern spain natural parks.	during an 8-years study, we collected from vegetation or domestic and wild mammals 1246 ticks (624 males, 511 females and 111 nymphs) belonging to 13 species in jaen province (andalusia) and we analyzed these ticks by pcr and sequencing for the presence of rickettsiae. specific rickettsiae dna was detected in 243 (19.5%) of the ticks tested. sequence analysis of amplicons of glta, ompa and ompb genes revealed that ixodes ricinus were infected with r. monacensis, including strain irs3, and r. hel ...	2008	18677442
molecular identification of rickettsia felis in ticks and fleas from an endemic area for brazilian spotted fever.	rickettsioses are arthropod-borne diseases caused by parasites from the order rickettsiales. the most prevalent rickettsial disease in brazil is brazilian spotted fever (bsf). this work intends the molecular detection of those agents in ectoparasites from an endemic area of bsf in the state of espírito santo. a total of 502 ectoparasites, among them amblyomma cajennense, amblyomma dubitatum (a. cooperi), riphicephalus sanguineus, anocentor nitens and ctenocephalides felis, was collected from dom ...	2008	18425272
ticks (acari: ixodidae) infesting wild birds in an atlantic forest area in the state of são paulo, brazil, with isolation of rickettsia from the tick amblyomma longirostre.	during field work in nazaré paulista, state of são paulo, brazil, we found 13 (56.5%) of 23 birds (mostly passeriformes) to be infested by 28 larvae and 1 nymph of amblyomma spp. two larvae were reared to the adult stage, being taxonomically identified as amblyomma parkeri fonseca and aragio, whereas five larvae and one nymph were identified as amblyomma longirostre koch. all six a. longirostre specimens were shown to be infected by rickettsia, as demonstrated by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) ...	2008	18714882
pathogen screening and bionomics of lutzomyia apache (diptera: psychodidae) in wyoming, usa.	phlebotomine sand flies are vectors of bacteria, parasites, and viruses. lutzomyia apache, a north american sand fly, was incriminated as a vector of vesicular stomatitis viruses (vsv) due to overlapping ranges of the sand fly and recent outbreaks of vsv. we report on the discovery of 2 populations of l. apache in wyoming from albany and fremont counties. we attempted to isolate vsv and phleboviruses from sand flies from albany county and screened select flies by polymerase chain reaction for ba ...	2008	18939699
rickettsia sp. in ixodes granulatus ticks, japan.		2008	19046539
rickettsial agents in slovakian ticks (acarina, ixodidae) and their ability to grow in vero and l929 cell lines.	a total of 80 adult ticks (55 haemaphysalis inermis, 12 dermacentor reticulatus, 11 d. marginatus, 2 ixodes ricinus) were collected from vegetation in three areas of slovakia (forest and pasture habitat) in central europe. forty-six (46 ticks) (57.5%) of all species tested were positive by the hemocyte test, pcr assays based on the glta and ompa genes showed a rickettsiaceae infection in 77.5% of the ticks, whereas only one h. inermis tick was positive for anaplasmataceae on a 16s rrna-based pcr ...	2008	19120229
prevalence of tick-borne zoonotic bacteria in questing adult ticks from northern spain.	a total of 691 questing adult ixodid ticks of the genera ixodes, haemaphysalis, dermacentor, and rhipicephalus were tested by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) and reverse line blot (rlb) for the presence of anaplasma phagocytophilum, coxiella burnetii, borrelia spp., and spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae. ticks were collected by blanket dragging during 2 sampling years (2003-2005) in 10 recreational areas in the basque country (northern spain). adult ticks were collected every month of the ye ...	2008	18759563
artificial plasmid engineered to simulate multiple biological threat agents.	the objective of this study was to develop a non-virulent simulant to replace several virulent organisms during the development of detection and identification methods for biological threat agents. we identified and selected specific genes to detect yersinia pestis, francisella tularensis, burkholderia mallei, burkholderia pseudomallei, rickettsia sp., coxiella burnetii, brucella sp., enterohemorrhagic escherichia coli o157:h7, bacillus anthracis, and variola (smallpox) virus. we then designed a ...	2009	18923830
rickettsia rickettsii, rickettsia felis and rickettsia sp. twkm03 infecting rhipicephalus sanguineus and ctenocephalides felis collected from dogs in a brazilian spotted fever focus in the state of rio de janeiro/brazil.		2009	19298400
spotted fever group rickettsia sp. closely related to rickettsia japonica, thailand.		2009	19331747
ticks and tick-borne pathogens and putative symbionts of black bears (ursus americanus floridanus) from georgia and florida.	ticks were collected from 38 black bears (ursus americanus floridanus) from northwestern florida (n = 18) from 2003 to 2005 and southern georgia (n = 20) in 2006. five species (amblyomma americanum, a. maculatum, dermacentor variabilis, ixodes scapularis, and i. affinis) were collected from florida bears, and 4 species (a. americanum, a. maculatum, d. variabilis, i. scapularis) were collected from bears in georgia. ixodes scapularis was the most frequently collected tick, followed by d. variabil ...	2009	19413369
identification of spotted fever group rickettsia species by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the sca4 gene.	dna samples from four rickettsial species in japan--r. japonica aoki, r. asiatica io-1, r. helvetica ip-1, and rickettsia tamurae at-1--were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (pcr-rflp) in which a portion of the sca4 gene was amplified and restriction digested with the mspi enzyme. each spotted fever group rickettsial species exhibited unique restriction profiles after mspi digestion. to examine the possibility of applying pcr-rflp analysis to field s ...	2009	19485769
typhus and other rickettsioses: emerging infections in germany.	rickettsioses are diseases caused by rickettsiae, obligate intracellular bacteria that are transmitted by arthropods to humans. they cause various types of spotted fever and typhus.	2009	19547738
characterization and localization of rickettsia sp. in water beetles of genus deronectes (coleoptera: dytiscidae).	in the present study, rickettsia sp. was detected in four water beetles of the genus deronectes (dytiscidae) for the first time. rickettsiae were found in 100% of examined specimens of deronectes platynotus (45/45), 39.4% of deronectes aubei (28/71), 40% of deronectes delarouzei (2/5) and 33.3% of deronectes semirufus (1/3). analysis of 16s rrna gene sequences revealed a phylogenetic relationship with rickettsial isolates of limonia chorea (diptera), tentatively classified as members of the basa ...	2009	19573201
rickettsial infection in amblyomma nodosum ticks (acari: ixodidae) from brazil.	the rickettsial infections in 174 amblyomma nodosum found on passeriform birds in the atlantic forest, eastern brazil, have recently been evaluated. rickettsiae were successfully isolated from two ticks, using cultures of vero cells. both isolates were molecularly characterised, using the rickettsial genes glta and htra and, when possible, also ompa and ompb. portions of the glta and htra genes from one of the rickettsial isolates were found be closely match the corresponding genbank sequences f ...	2009	19583912
ectoparasites and associated pathogens of free-roaming and captive animals in zoos of south carolina.	a survey of ectoparasites and their associated pathogens was conducted in two south carolina zoos, from 2004 to 2007. dead, wild birds and mammals, as well as captive animals examined during routine veterinary checks constituted the study populations. ectoparasites were tested for species of anaplasma, bartonella, coxiella burnetii, ehrlichia, rickettsia, and trypanosoma. forty-six species of ectoparasites were collected from 133 free-roaming and captive hosts and their associated nesting and be ...	2009	18973443
transmission of rickettsia sp. dms1 in the tick, dermacentor marginatus.		2009	20584168
ecological factors characterizing the prevalence of bacterial tick-borne pathogens in ixodes ricinus ticks in pastures and woodlands.	ecological changes are recognized as an important driver behind the emergence of infectious diseases. the prevalence of infection in ticks depends upon ecological factors that are rarely taken into account simultaneously. our objective was to investigate the influences of forest fragmentation, vegetation, adult tick hosts, and habitat on the infection prevalence of three tick-borne bacteria, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, anaplasma phagocytophilum, and rickettsia sp. of the spotted fever group ...	2010	20453131
sdetection of vector-borne agents in lone star ticks, amblyomma americanum (acari: ixodidae), from mississippi.	in this study, we evaluated amblyomma americanum (lone star tick) in mississippi for the presence of ehrlichia chaffeensis, causative agent of human monocytic ehrlichiosis; ehrlichia ewingii, causative agent of human and canine granulocytic ehrlichiosis; borrelia lonestari, putative agent of southern tick-associated rash illness; francisella tularensis, the agent of tularemia; and rickettsia spp., particularly r. amblyommii, a suspected pathogen. we collected adult a. americanum from four region ...	2010	20496596
molecular investigation of hard ticks (acari: ixodidae) and fleas (siphonaptera: pulicidae) as potential vectors of rickettsial and mycoplasmal agents.	the aim of the present study was twofold. first, in general, to reveal new aspects of the potential vector role of ixodid ticks and fleas by screening large numbers of specimens with recently developed molecular biological methods. second, to evaluate the occurrence of vector-borne infectious agents in a geographical context. altogether 3442 unfed hard ticks (ixodes ricinus, dermacentor marginatus, d. reticulatus, haemaphysalis inermis, h. concinna, h. punctata) and 939 fleas of cats and dogs (c ...	2010	19660880
prevalence of five pathogenic agents in questing ixodes ricinus ticks from western france.	in europe, ixodes ricinus ticks are vectors of many emerging pathogens, including borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (sl), anaplasma phagocytophilum, spotted fever group rickettsia sp., babesia sp., and very likely bartonella sp. in this study, we looked for the presence of dna of these microorganisms in 572 ticks from two forests in the west of france. dna extraction and polymerase chain reaction (pcr) amplification were performed on individual nymphal, male, and female i. ricinus ticks. amplifica ...	2010	20020814
dissemination of spotted fever rickettsia agents in europe by migrating birds.	migratory birds are known to play a role as long-distance vectors for many microorganisms. to investigate whether this is true of rickettsial agents as well, we characterized tick infestation and gathered ticks from 13,260 migratory passerine birds in sweden. a total of 1127 ixodes spp. ticks were removed from these birds and the extracted dna from 957 of them was available for analyses. the dna was assayed for detection of rickettsia spp. using real-time pcr, followed by dna sequencing for spec ...	2010	20052286
detection of "candidatus rickettsia sp. strain argentina"and rickettsia bellii in amblyomma ticks (acari: ixodidae) from northern argentina.	ixodid ticks were collected from vegetation and from humans, wild and domestic mammals in a rural area in the semi-arid argentine chaco in late spring 2006 to evaluate their potential role as vectors of spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae. a total of 233 adult ticks, identified as amblyomma parvum, amblyomma tigrinum and amblyomma pseudoconcolor, was examined for rickettsia spp. we identified an sfg rickettsia of unknown pathogenicity, "candidatus rickettsia sp. strain argentina", in a. parvum ...	2010	20186466
isolation of rickettsia parkeri and identification of a novel spotted fever group rickettsia sp. from gulf coast ticks (amblyomma maculatum) in the united states.	until recently, amblyomma maculatum (the gulf coast tick) had garnered little attention compared to other species of human-biting ticks in the united states. a. maculatum is now recognized as the principal vector of rickettsia parkeri, a pathogenic spotted fever group rickettsia (sfgr) that causes an eschar-associated illness in humans that resembles rocky mountain spotted fever. a novel sfgr, distinct from other recognized rickettsia spp., has also been detected recently in a. maculatum specime ...	2010	20208020
prevalence and seasonality of tick-borne pathogens in questing ixodes ricinus ticks from luxembourg.	in europe, ixodid ticks are important arthropod vectors of human and animal pathogens, but comprehensive studies of the prevalence of all relevant pathogens in central europe are scarce. as a result of ecological changes, the incidences of tick-borne infections are expected to increase. in this study, 1,394 nymphal and adult ixodes ricinus ticks sampled monthly during the active season from 33 ecologically distinct collection sites throughout luxembourg were screened for all human tick-borne pat ...	2010	20228110
bacterial diversity in amblyomma americanum (acari: ixodidae) with a focus on members of the genus rickettsia.	the lone star tick, amblyomma americanum (acari: ixodidae), is commonly reported from people and animals throughout the eastern u.s. and is associated with transmission of a number of emerging diseases. to better define the microbial communities within lone star ticks, 16s rrna gene based analysis using bacteria-wide primers, followed by sequencing of individual clones (n = 449) was used to identify the most common bacterial operational taxonomic units (otus) present within colony-reared and wil ...	2010	20380308
molecular detection of rickettsia bellii, rickettsia montanensis, and rickettsia rickettsii in a dermacentor variabilis tick from nature.	rickettsial diseases, such as rocky mountain spotted fever, pose a public health threat because of humans' interrelationship with common arthropod species, such as ticks, mites, fleas, and lice. individuals may come in contact with these vectors of disease on a fairly regular basis either directly or indirectly through pets or wildlife species, at home or in recreational areas. therefore, it is of vital importance to know and understand the geographical distribution and prevalence of disease and ...	2010	19485770
murine typhus as a cause of fever in travelers from tunisia and mediterranean areas.	travelers are exposed to a variety of health risks in unfamiliar environments and fever is a common problem in patients returning from travel abroad. rickettsial diseases are increasingly frequently being reported among international travelers. here we present cases of rickettsia typhi infection, the agent of murine typhus, that were identified in our laboratory the last year, in travelers from tunisia.	2010	20920051
first detection of spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks in serbia.	ticks can transmit multiple pathogenic bacteria responsible for diseases in animals and humans such as borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, anaplasma phagocytophilum, and spotted fever group rickettsia sp. the current study aimed to investigate the presence of rickettsiae in ticks collected from seven localities in serbia. one hundred thirty-one (131) questing ticks belonging to 5 tick species (dermacentor marginatus, dermacentor reticulatus, haemaphysalis punctata, haemaphysalis concinna, and ixode ...	2010	21142961
detection of spotted fever group rickettsia spp. from bird ticks in the u.k.	migratory birds are known to play a role in the long-distance transportation of microorganisms. to investigate whether this is true for rickettsial agents, we undertook a study to characterize tick infestation in populations of the migratory passerine bird riparia riparia (passeriformes: hirundinidae), the sand martin. a total of 194 birds were sampled and ticks removed from infested birds. the ticks were identified as female ixodes lividus (acari: ixodidae) using standard morphological and mole ...	2010	20546129
serological survey of rickettsia sp. in horses and dogs in a non-endemic area in brazil.	brazilian spotted fever (bsf) is a lethal rickettsiosis in humans caused by the bacteria rickettsia rickettsii, and is endemic in some areas of brazil. horses and dogs are part of the disease's life cycle and they may also serve as sentinel animals in epidemiological studies. the first human bsf case in the state of paraná was reported in 2005. the present study was conducted in the municipality of almirante tamandaré, where no previous case of bsf was reported. serum samples were collected from ...	2010	21184695
survey of ticks (acari: ixodidae) and their rickettsia in an atlantic rain forest reserve in the state of são paulo, brazil.	the current study investigated the occurrence of ticks and their rickettsiae in the serra do mar state park, which encompasses one of the largest atlantic rain forest reserves of brazil. from july 2008 to june 2009, a total of 2439 ticks (2,196 free living and 243 collected on hosts) was collected, encompassing the following 13 species: amblyomma aureolatum (pallas), amblyomma brasiliense aragao, amblyomma dubitatum neumann, amblyomma fuscum neumann, amblyomma incisum neumann, amblyomma longiros ...	2010	20939390
bacterial endosymbiont localization in hyalesthes obsoletus, the insect vector of bois noir in vitis vinifera.	one emerging disease of grapevine in europe is bois noir (bn), a phytoplasmosis caused by "candidatus phytoplasma solani" and spread in vineyards by the planthopper hyalesthes obsoletus (hemiptera: cixiidae). here we present the first full characterization of the bacterial community of this important disease vector collected from bn-contaminated areas in piedmont, italy. length heterogeneity pcr and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis targeting the 16s rrna gene revealed the presenc ...	2010	21183640
coxiella burnetii transcriptional analysis reveals serendipity clusters of regulation in intracellular bacteria.	coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of the zoonotic disease q fever, is mainly transmitted to humans through an aerosol route. a spore-like form allows c. burnetii to resist different environmental conditions. because of this, analysis of the survival strategies used by this bacterium to adapt to new environmental conditions is critical for our understanding of c. burnetii pathogenicity. here, we report the early transcriptional response of c. burnetii under temperature stresses. our data sho ...	2010	21203564
rapid spread of a bacterial symbiont in an invasive whitefly is driven by fitness benefits and female bias.	maternally inherited bacterial symbionts of arthropods are common, yet symbiont invasions of host populations have rarely been observed. here, we show that rickettsia sp. nr. bellii swept into a population of an invasive agricultural pest, the sweet potato whitefly, bemisia tabaci, in just 6 years. compared with uninfected whiteflies, rickettsia-infected whiteflies produced more offspring, had higher survival to adulthood, developed faster, and produced a higher proportion of daughters. the symb ...	2011	21474763
a novel rickettsia infecting amblyomma dubitatum ticks in brazil.	a total of 130 adult free-living ticks of amblyomma cajennense and 9 free-living amblyomma dubitatum were collected in the surroundings of the pampulha lake, within belo horizonte city, state of minas gerais, south-eastern brazil. each adult tick was tested for rickettsial infection by pcr protocols targeting the rickettsial genes glta, htra, and ompa. all the 130 a. cajennense ticks were negative by pcr. in contrast, all 9 a. dubitatum ticks were shown to contain rickettsial dna. pcr products w ...	2011	22108014
[surveillance of rickettsia sp. infection in capybaras (hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) a potential model of epidemiological alert in endemic areas].	introduction. capybaras (hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) are considered amplifying hosts of rickettsia sp. these rodents are usually parasitized by the tick vector, amblyomma cajennense, the main vector of rickettsioses in humans and animals in south america. capybaras can be used as sentinels in detection of circulation of rickettsiae. objective. antibodies to rickettsiae of spotted fever group were detected in capybaras in a rural area of cordoba province, northern colombia. materials and methods. ...	2011	22159538
widespread use of real-time pcr for rickettsial diagnosis.	we report 2 years of experience with rickettsial molecular diagnosis using real-time pcr at the french national reference center. all rickettsia genomes available were compared to discover specific sequences to design new sets of primers and probes. the specificity was verified in silico and against a panel of 30 rickettsial species. sensitivity was determined using 10-fold serial dilutions. finally, primers and probes that were both specific and sensitive were routinely used for the diagnosis o ...	2011	22092999
high rates of rickettsia parkeri infection in gulf coast ticks (amblyomma maculatum) and identification of "candidatus rickettsia andeanae" from fairfax county, virginia.	the gulf coast tick, amblyomma maculatum, is a vector of rickettsia parkeri, a recently identified human pathogen that causes a disease with clinical symptoms that resemble a mild form of rocky mountain spotted fever. because the prevalence of r. parkeri infection in geographically distinct populations of a. maculatum is not fully understood, a. maculatum specimens collected as part of a tick and pathogen surveillance system in fairfax county, virginia, were screened to determine pathogen infect ...	2011	21867421
rickettsia, ehrlichia, anaplasma, and bartonella in ticks and fleas from dogs and cats in bangkok.	abstract flea and tick specimens (5-10 fleas or ticks) on dogs and cats from various sites in bangkok were tested by polymerase chain reaction and dna sequencing to detect dna of bacteria rickettsia (glta and 17 kda genes), anaplasmataceae (16s rrna gene), and bartonella (pap31 and its genes). we confirmed that rickettsia sp. related to rickettsia felis was detected in 66 of 98 (67.4%) flea specimens from dogs, whereas 8 bartonella henselae and 2 bartonella clarridgeiae were detected in 10 of 54 ...	2011	21612535
associations between coinfection prevalence of borrelia lusitaniae, anaplasma sp., and rickettsia sp. in hard ticks feeding on reptile hosts.	an increasing number of studies reveal that ticks and their hosts are infected with multiple pathogens, suggesting that coinfection might be frequent for both vectors and wild reservoir hosts. whereas the examination of associations between coinfecting pathogen agents in natural host-vector-pathogen systems is a prerequisite for a better understanding of disease maintenance and transmission, the associations between pathogens within vectors or hosts are seldom explicitly examined. we examined th ...	2011	20711724
a prevalent alpha-proteobacterium paracoccus sp. in a population of the cayenne ticks (amblyomma cajennense) from rio de janeiro, brazil.	as rocky mountain spotted fever is the most common tick-borne disease in south america, the presence of rickettsia sp. in amblyomma ticks is a possible indication of its endemicity in certain geographic regions. in the present work, bacterial dna sequences related to rickettsia amblyommii genes in a. dubitatum ticks, collected in the brazilian state of mato grosso, were discovered. simultaneously, paracoccus sp. was detected in aproximately 77% of a. cajennense specimens collected in rio de jane ...	2012	23271948
rickettsial infection in ticks collected from road-killed wild animals in rio de janeiro, brazil.	during 2008-2010, ticks were collected from road-killed wild animals within the serra dos orgãos national park area in the state of rio de janeiro, brazil. in total, 193 tick specimens were collected, including amblyomma dubitatum neumann and amblyomma cajennense (f.) from four hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (l.), amblyomma calcaratum neumann and a. cajennense from four tamandua tetradactyla (l.), amblyomma aureolatum (pallas) and a. cajennense from five cerdocyon thous l., amblyomma longirostre (koc ...	2012	23270184