Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted descending) Filter |
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| molecular detection of pathogens in ticks infesting cattle in nampula province, mozambique. | ticks are ectoparasites that can act as vectors of a large number of pathogens in wild and domestic animals, pets, and occasionally humans. the global threat of emerging or re-emerging tick-borne diseases supports the need for research focused in the zoonotic transmission, especially in countries like mozambique where rural populations are in close contact with domestic animals. the present study aims to: (1) identify tick species infesting cattle from monapo and nacala porto, districts of nampu ... | 2017 | 28856544 |
| african tick bite fever in returning swedish travellers. report of two cases and aspects of diagnostics. | introduction: african tick-bite fever, caused by rickettsia africae, is endemic in rural areas of sub-saharan africa and a possible cause of fever in returning swedish travellers. two patients are presented, and the advantages and disadvantages of different diagnostic methods are discussed. patients and methods: two middle-aged men fell ill with fever after returning home from south africa. both had single eschars and one also presented with a lymph node swelling. samples were taken for serology ... | 2017 | 28815000 |
| molecular detection of tick-borne pathogen diversities in ticks from livestock and reptiles along the shores and adjacent islands of lake victoria and lake baringo, kenya. | although diverse tick-borne pathogens (tbps) are endemic to east africa, with recognized impact on human and livestock health, their diversity and specific interactions with tick and vertebrate host species remain poorly understood in the region. in particular, the role of reptiles in tbp epidemiology remains unknown, despite having been implicated with tbps of livestock among exported tortoises and lizards. understanding tbp ecologies, and the potential role of common reptiles, is critical for ... | 2017 | 28620610 |
| fever and multiple eschars after an african safari: report of three cases. | african tick-bite fever (atbf), a tickborne disease endemic in rural areas of sub-saharan africa and the west indies caused by rickettsia africae, has been recognized as an emerging health problem in recent years. atbf has been reported as the second most commonly documented etiology of fever, after malaria, in travelers who return ill from sub-saharan africa. most cases reported in the literature occurred in middle-aged adults, so the incidence of atbf in children is unclear. we report a cluste ... | 2017 | 28544092 |
| novel rickettsia and emergent tick-borne pathogens: a molecular survey of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in shimba hills national reserve, kenya. | ticks are important vectors of emerging and re-emerging zoonoses, the majority of which originate from wildlife. in recent times, this has become a global public health concern that necessitates surveillance of both known and unknown tick-borne pathogens likely to be future disease threats, as well as their tick vectors. we carried out a survey of the diversity of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in kenya's shimba hills national reserve (shnr), an area with intensified human-livestock-wildlife int ... | 2017 | 28011185 |
| detection of rickettsia aeschlimannii and rickettsia africae in ixodid ticks from burkina faso and somali region of ethiopia by new real-time pcr assays. | in the framework of cooperation for development projects in burkina faso and ethiopia, we collected ixodid ticks from cattle, small ruminants and camels. we optimized new taqman probe real-time pcr assays to detect rickettsia aeschlimannii and rickettsia africae ompa gene in the collected samples. rickettsia africae was identified in 75.0% amblyomma variegatum (95%ci: 56.6-88.5), while r. aeschlimannii in 24.0% hyalomma truncatum (95%ci: 9.4-45.1) and 50.0% h. rufipes (95%ci: 29.9-70.0) collecte ... | 2016 | 27641952 |
| a case of african tick-bite fever in a returning traveler. | 2016 | 27516971 | |
| molecular diagnosis of african tick bite fever using eschar swabs in a traveller returning from tanzania. | african tick bite fever is an emerging infectious disease among travellers caused by the pathogen rickettsia africae. most travel-associated cases have been reported from countries in southern africa. so far it has rarely been reported among travellers to eastern africa and our patient is one of the first described cases imported from tanzania. a woman presented with fever, chills, headache, myalgia and a rickettsial eschar on her ankle after returning from tanzania. the diagnosis of african tic ... | 2016 | 27488618 |
| anaplasma, ehrlichia and rickettsial pathogens in ixodid ticks infesting cattle and sheep in western oromia, ethiopia. | although ticks are widely distributed in all agro-ecological zones of ethiopia, information on tick-borne pathogens is scarce. this study was conducted to determine the presence of anaplasma spp., ehrlichia spp., and rickettsia spp. in rhipicephalus evertsi and rhipicephalus (boophilus) decoloratus collected from cattle and sheep at bako, western oromia, ethiopia, using polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. anaplasma ovis and anaplasma spp., ehrlichia ruminantium and ehrlichia spp. were dete ... | 2016 | 27411938 |
| rickettsiae and rickettsial diseases in croatia: implications for travel medicine. | to review the current state of knowledge concerning rickettsiae and rickettsioses in croatia and to discuss their implications for travellers. | 2017 | 27404664 |
| phylogenetic variants of rickettsia africae, and incidental identification of "candidatus rickettsia moyalensis" in kenya. | rickettsia africae, the etiological agent of african tick bite fever, is widely distributed in sub-saharan africa. contrary to reports of its homogeneity, a localized study in asembo, kenya recently reported high genetic diversity. the present study aims to elucidate the extent of this heterogeneity by examining archived rickettsia africae dna samples collected from different eco-regions of kenya. | 2016 | 27387337 |
| ecology of bats, their ectoparasites, and associated pathogens on saint kitts island. | ectoparasites of bats and bat-associated pathogens are poorly studied in the lesser antilles islands. we report on an 11-mo field study on saint kitts island of bat populations, their associated ectoparasites, and pathogens. we report on five ectoparasite species, including four streblidae (diptera) and a spinturnicidae (acari). several genotypes of unnamed bartonella were isolated from bats and ectoparasites. microfilaria of an undetermined litomosoides spp. were detected in blood from artibeus ... | 2016 | 27282816 |
| evidence of rickettsia and orientia infections among abattoir workers in djibouti. | of 49 workers at a djiboutian abattoir, eight (16%, 95% confidence interval [ci]: 9-29) were seropositive against spotted fever group rickettsiae (sfgr), two (4%, 95% ci: 1-14) against typhus group rickettsiae, and three (6%, 95% ci: 2-17) against orientiae. one worker (9%, 95% ci: 2-38) seroconverted against orientiae during the study period. this is the first evidence of orientiae exposure in the horn of africa. sfgr were also identified by polymerase chain reaction in 32 of 189 (11%, 95% ci: ... | 2016 | 27273647 |
| molecular detection of spotted fever group rickettsiae in amblyomma variegatum ticks from benin. | spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae are obligate intracellular, gram-negative bacteria transmitted by ticks and causing febrile illness in humans. despite the presence of suitable tick vectors, the occurrence of sfg rickettsiae has never been investigated in the republic of benin (west africa). in the present study, 910 amblyomma variegatum ticks collected from 8 different locations in north eastern benin were tested for sfg rickettsiae. the samples were first screened for the presence of rick ... | 2016 | 27150592 |
| molecular detection of zoonotic rickettsiae and anaplasma spp. in domestic dogs and their ectoparasites in bushbuckridge, south africa. | members of the order rickettsiales are small, obligate intracellular bacteria that are vector-borne and can cause mild to fatal diseases in humans worldwide. there is little information on the zoonotic rickettsial pathogens that may be harbored by dogs from rural localities in south africa. to characterize rickettsial pathogens infecting dogs, we screened 141 blood samples, 103 ticks, and 43 fleas collected from domestic dogs in bushbuckridge municipality, mpumalanga province of south africa, be ... | 2016 | 26974185 |
| molecular detection and identification of spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks collected from the west bank, palestinian territories. | tick-borne rickettsioses are caused by obligate intracellular bacteria belonging to the spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae. although spotted fever is prevalent in the middle east, no reports for the presence of tick-borne pathogens are available or any studies on the epidemiology of this disease in the west bank. we aimed to identify the circulating hard tick vectors and genetically characterize sfg rickettsia species in ixodid ticks from the west bank-palestinian territories. | 2016 | 26771654 |
| multiple pathogens including potential new species in tick vectors in côte d'ivoire. | our study aimed to assess the presence of different pathogens in ticks collected in two regions in côte d'ivoire. | 2016 | 26771308 |
| tick (amblyomma chabaudi) infestation of endemic tortoises in southwest madagascar and investigation of tick-borne pathogens. | little is known about the role of endemic ticks as vectors for bacterial and protozoan pathogens for animals and humans in madagascar and their interaction in anthropogenic habitats where humans, their livestock and native malagasy species (vectors and hosts) come into more frequent contact than in natural forest ecosystems. the aims of the study were (1) to test whether habitat degradation is associated with increased infestation of tortoises by ticks and (2) to investigate whether ticks carrie ... | 2016 | 26724898 |
| investigation of rickettsia, coxiella burnetii and bartonella in ticks from animals in south africa. | ticks are involved in the epidemiology of several human pathogens including spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsia spp., coxiella burnetii and bartonella spp. human diseases caused by these microorganisms have been reported from south africa. the presence of sfg rickettsia spp., c. burnetii and bartonella spp. was investigated in 205 ticks collected from domestic and wild animals from western cape and limpopo provinces (south africa). rickettsia massiliae was detected in 10 amblyomma sylvaticum an ... | 2016 | 26718068 |
| high detection rate of rickettsia africae in amblyomma variegatum but low prevalence of anti-rickettsial antibodies in healthy pregnant women in madagascar. | tick-borne spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsioses are emerging infectious diseases in sub-saharan africa. in madagascar, the endemicity of tick-borne rickettsiae and their vectors has been incompletely studied. the first part of the present study was conducted in 2011 and 2012 to identify potential anthropophilic tick vectors for sfg rickettsiae on cattle from seven malagasy regions, and to detect and characterize rickettsiae in these ticks. amblyomma variegatum was the only anthropophilic tick ... | 2016 | 26318262 |
| identification of tick species and disseminate pathogen using hemolymph by maldi-tof ms. | matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (maldi-tof ms) is increasingly emerging tool for identification of arthropods including tick vectors using whole or body part of specimens. the challenges of the present study were to assess maldi-tof ms profiling for the both identification of tick species and rickettsia spp. in infected ticks using hemolymph as protein mixture. | 2015 | 26051210 |
| molecular detection of rickettsia africae in amblyomma variegatum collected from sudan. | despite the increasing awareness of the importance of emerging vector-borne diseases, human tick-borne diseases, particularly rickettsial infections, are overlooked, especially in the countries such as sudan with limited resources to perform molecular-based surveys. this study aimed at detection and genetic characterization of rickettsia spp. in ticks collected from sudan. the samples were first screened for the presence of rickettsial agents by glta real-time pcr and subsequently characterized ... | 0 | 25988442 |
| tick-borne pathogens of potential zoonotic importance in the southern african region. | the aim of this communication is to provide preliminary information on the tick-borne pathogens of potential zoonotic importance present in southern africa, mainly focusing on their geographical distribution and host range, and to identify research gaps. the following tick-borne zoonoses have been reported to occur in southern africa based mainly on case reports: crimean-congo haemorrhagic fever caused by crimean-congo haemorrhagic fever virus; ehrlichiosis caused by ehrlichia ruminantium, ehrli ... | 2014 | 25685942 |
| rickettsia africae infection complicated with painful sacral syndrome in an italian traveller returning from zimbabwe. | we report a case of rickettsia africae infection complicated with painful sacral syndrome in an italian traveller returning from zimbabwe. the patient presented with fever, a tache noire on the left leg, and a neurological syndrome characterized by severe pain of the left leg, predominantly located in the left dorsal thigh and radiating to the calf; she had urinary retention and faecal incontinence. the diagnosis of r. africae was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction on a skin biopsy. the seve ... | 2014 | 25447725 |
| high prevalence of rickettsia africae variants in amblyomma variegatum ticks from domestic mammals in rural western kenya: implications for human health. | tick-borne spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsioses are emerging human diseases caused by obligate intracellular gram-negative bacteria of the genus rickettsia. despite being important causes of systemic febrile illnesses in travelers returning from sub-saharan africa, little is known about the reservoir hosts of these pathogens. we conducted surveys for rickettsiae in domestic animals and ticks in a rural setting in western kenya. of the 100 serum specimens tested from each species of domestic r ... | 0 | 25325312 |
| spotted fever group rickettsiae in ixodid ticks in oromia, ethiopia. | in ethiopia, information on the transmission of human zoonotic pathogens through ixodid ticks remains scarce. to address the occurrence and molecular identity of spotted fever group rickettsiae using molecular tools, a total of 767 ixodid ticks belonging to thirteen different species were collected from domestic animals from september 2011 to march 2014. rickettsia africae dna was detected in 30.2% (16/53) amblyommma variegatum, 28.6% (12/42) am. gemma, 0.8% (1/119) am. cohaerens, 18.2% (4/22) a ... | 2015 | 25262832 |
| first molecular detection of rickettsia africae in ticks from the union of the comoros. | rickettsia africae is the agent of african tick bite fever, a disease transmitted by ticks in sub-saharan africa. in union of the comoros, a recent study reported the presence of a rickettsia africae vector but no information has been provided on the circulation of the pathogenic agent in this country. | 2014 | 25245895 |
| spotted fever rickettsia species in hyalomma and ixodes ticks infesting migratory birds in the european mediterranean area. | a few billion birds migrate annually between their breeding grounds in europe and their wintering grounds in africa. many bird species are tick-infested, and as a result of their innate migratory behavior, they contribute significantly to the geographic distribution of pathogens, including spotted fever rickettsiae. the aim of the present study was to characterize, in samples from two consecutive years, the potential role of migrant birds captured in europe as disseminators of rickettsia-infecte ... | 2014 | 25011617 |
| identification of rickettsial pathogens in ixodid ticks in northern senegal. | the spotted fevers, caused by the rickettsia bacteria, are a group of emerging diseases that are responsible for significant human morbidity. in africa, the distribution of different species of rickettsia in their tick vectors is poorly studied. we have collected 1169 hard ticks from 5 different species in the northern senegal, close to the saharan border. in a far northern collection site, corresponding to the rickettsia africae distribution area, we collected three amblyomma variegatum ticks i ... | 2014 | 24908548 |
| rickettsia spp. in seabird ticks from western indian ocean islands, 2011-2012. | we found a diversity of rickettsia spp. in seabird ticks from 6 tropical islands. the bacteria showed strong host specificity and sequence similarity with strains in other regions. seabird ticks may be key reservoirs for pathogenic rickettsia spp., and bird hosts may have a role in dispersing ticks and tick-associated infectious agents over large distances. | 0 | 24751287 |
| massive infection of seabird ticks with bacterial species related to coxiella burnetii. | seabird ticks are known reservoirs of bacterial pathogens of medical importance; however, ticks parasitizing tropical seabirds have received less attention than their counterparts from temperate and subpolar regions. recently, rickettsia africae was described to infect seabird ticks of the western indian ocean and new caledonia, constituting the only available data on bacterial pathogens associated with tropical seabird tick species. here, we combined a pyrosequencing-based approach with a class ... | 2014 | 24657860 |
| rickettsia africae and candidatus rickettsia barbariae in ticks in israel. | dna of several spotted fever group rickettsiae was found in ticks in israel. the findings include evidence for the existence of rickettsia africae and candidatus rickettsia barbariae in ticks in israel. the dna of r. africae was detected in a hyalomma detritum tick from a wild boar and dna of c. rickettsia barbariae was detected in rhipicephalus turanicus and rhipicephalus sanguineus collected from vegetation. the dna of rickettsia massiliae was found in rh. sanguineus and haemaphysalis erinacei ... | 2014 | 24615133 |
| detection of microbial agents in ticks collected from migratory birds in central italy. | tick species characterization and molecular studies were performed within ornithological surveys conducted during 2010 and 2011 in the lazio region of central italy. a total of 137 ticks were collected from 41 migratory birds belonging to 17 species (four partial migrants and 13 long-distance migrants). most ticks were nymphs, with a predominance of hyalomma marginatum marginatum and h. m. rufipes, and a small portion of ixodes and amblyomma species. all tick species analyzed were infected, and ... | 2014 | 24576218 |
| case report of african tick-bite fever from poland. | a confirmed case of rickettsiosis acquired in south africa and recognized in poland was described. the patient fulfilled clinical criteria highly suggestive of african tick bite fever, such as eschars, regional lymphadenitis, cutaneous rash within 10 days after his return from sub-saharan africa. infection with rickettsia africae was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. | 2013 | 24494003 |
| high prevalence of spotted fever group rickettsiae in amblyomma variegatum from uganda and their identification using sizes of intergenic spacers. | the spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae are obligate intracellular bacteria transmitted by ticks that cause several tick-borne rickettsioses in humans worldwide. this study was intended to determine the prevalence of sfg rickettsiae in amblyomma variegatum from 7 districts across uganda. in addition to sequencing of glta and ompa genes, identification of rickettsia species based on the sizes of highly variable intergenic spacers, namely, dksa-xerc, mppa-purc, and rpme-trna(fmet) was carried ou ... | 2013 | 24331642 |
| molecular detection of rickettsia africae, rickettsia aeschlimannii, and rickettsia sibirica mongolitimonae in camels and hyalomma spp. ticks from israel. | in this study, we aimed to identify and genetically characterize spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae in ticks, domestic one-humped camels, and horses from farms and bedouin communities in southern israel. a total of 618 ixodid ticks (hyalomma dromedarii, hyalomma turanicum, hyalomma excavatum, and hyalomma impeltatum) collected from camels and horses, as well as 152 blood samples from 148 camels and four horses were included in the study. initial screening for rickettsiae was carried out by ta ... | 2013 | 24107206 |
| rickettsia africae in amblyomma variegatum ticks, uganda and nigeria. | 0 | 24050756 | |
| cell extract-containing medium for culture of intracellular fastidious bacteria. | the culture of fastidious microorganisms is a critical step in infectious disease studies. as a proof-of-concept experiment, we evaluated an empirical medium containing eukaryotic cell extracts for its ability to support the growth of coxiella burnetii. here, we demonstrate the exponential growth of several bacterial strains, including the c. burnetii nine mile phase i and phase ii strains, and c. burnetii isolates from humans and animals. low-oxygen-tension conditions and the presence of small ... | 2013 | 23740722 |
| zoonotic surveillance for rickettsiae in domestic animals in kenya. | abstract rickettsiae are obligate intracellular bacteria that cause zoonotic and human diseases. arthropod vectors, such as fleas, mites, ticks, and lice, transmit rickettsiae to vertebrates during blood meals. in humans, the disease can be life threatening. this study was conducted amidst rising reports of rickettsioses among travelers to kenya. ticks and whole blood were collected from domestic animals presented for slaughter at major slaughterhouses in nairobi and mombasa that receive animals ... | 2013 | 23477290 |
| tick-borne rickettsioses in europe. | rickettsioses are caused by obligate intracellular bacteria within the genus rickettsia, mainly transmitted by arthropods. until recently, mediterranean spotted fever (msf) caused by rickettsia conorii was considered the only tick-borne rickettsiosis in europe. however, 'new' tbr have been described in europe during last years. for instance, other subspecies such as r. conorii caspia and r. conorii israelensis have been involved in msf. dermacentor-borne necrosis erythema and lymphadenopathy/tic ... | 2012 | 23177355 |
| rickettsia africae in hyalomma dromedarii ticks from sub-saharan algeria. | spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsioses are caused by obligate, intracellular gram-negative bacteria of the genus rickettsia. in recent years, several species and subspecies of rickettsias have been identified as emerging pathogens throughout the world, including sub-saharan africa. we report here the detection of rickettsia africae, the agent responsible for african tick-bite fever, by amplification of fragments of glta and ompa genes and multi-spacer typing from hyalomma dromedarii ticks colle ... | 2012 | 23164496 |
| the use of eschar swabs for the diagnosis of african tick-bite fever. | african tick-bite fever (atbf) caused by rickettsia africae is a frequent cause of fever in returned travelers. here, we used eschar swabs and/or eschar crust samples for the molecular diagnosis of atbf in returned travelers. in 4 of 5 patients returning from south africa, including 3 with negative serology, r. africae was identified by molecular tools targeting 2 different genes. the findings of this study highlight the usefulness of eschar swabs and/or eschar crust samples for the diagnosis of ... | 2012 | 23141102 |
| spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks and fleas from the democratic republic of the congo. | little is known about the prevalence of spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae in ticks and fleas in the democratic republic of the congo. in 2008, 12 amblyomma compressum ticks were collected from 3 pangolins (manis gigantea). two haemaphysalis punctaleachi ticks were collected from 2 african civets (civettictis civetta congica), and one was collected from an antelope (onotragus leche). a total of 111 rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks, 23 ctenocephalides canis fleas, 39 c. felis fleas, and 5 tricho ... | 2012 | 23137572 |
| imported rickettsioses in italy. | in italy few cases of rickettsioses have been reported in travellers and autochthonous cases are attributed predominantly to rickettsia conorii, the agent of mediterranean spotted fever. | 2012 | 22738934 |
| rickettsial infection in ticks (acari: ixodidae) collected on birds in southern brazil. | the aim of the study was to evaluate rickettsial infection in ticks from wild birds of the semidecidual and atlantic rainforest remnants of three municipalities of the state of paraná, southern brazil. overall, 53 larvae and nymphs collected from birds were checked for the presence of rickettsia dna by molecular tests. five tick species were tested: amblyomma aureolatum (pallas), amblyomma calcaratum neumann, amblyomma longirostre (koch), amblyomma ovale koch, and amblyomma parkeri fonseca and a ... | 2012 | 22679880 |
| [vacation and tropical dermatoses]. | besides fever and diarrhea, skin diseases are the third most common cause of morbidity in returning travelers after a stay in a tropical country. approximately one- quarter of these dermatological symptoms can be referred to a classical tropical disease. the majority are of infectious origin. often only the clinical appearance leads to the diagnosis of a tropical disease as myiasis, cutaneous larva migrans, tungiasis or cutaneous leishmaniasis. not infrequently the dermatological symptoms lead t ... | 2012 | 22532262 |
| identification of rickettsia africae and wolbachia sp. in ceratophyllus garei fleas from passerine birds migrated from africa. | the aim of the study was to reveal new aspects of the role of flea vector taken from migratory birds by screening of specimens with molecular biological methods. a field study was done in fishponds in slovakia. actually, 47 fleas were collected from reed warblers (acrocephalus scirpaceus) and their nests. dna was extracted and analyzed for representatives of the orders rickettsiales. a rickettsia that shares 99.7% of identity by glta gene with rickettsia africae was identified in ceratophyllus g ... | 2012 | 22448745 |
| comparison of real-time quantitative pcr and culture for the diagnosis of emerging rickettsioses. | isolation of rickettsia species from skin biopsies may be replaced by pcr. we evaluated culture sensitivity compared to pcr based on sampling delay and previous antibiotic treatment. | 2012 | 22413026 |
| pathogen prevalence in ticks collected from the vegetation and livestock in nigeria. | ticks are important disease vectors that can cause considerable economic losses by affecting animal health and productivity, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. in this study, we investigated the prevalence and diversity of bacterial and protozoan tick-borne pathogens in ticks collected from the vegetation and cattle in nigeria by pcr. the infection rates of questing ticks were 3.1% for rickettsia species, 0.1% for coxiella burnetii and 0.4% for borrelia species. other pathogens, suc ... | 2012 | 22327584 |
| molecular identification of tick-borne pathogens in nigerian ticks. | a molecular epidemiology investigation was undertaken in two nigerian states (plateau and nassarawa) to determine the prevalence of pathogens of veterinary and public health importance associated with ticks collected from cattle and dogs using pcr, cloning and sequencing or reverse line blot techniques. a total of 218 tick samples, amblyomma variegatum (n=153), rhipicephalus (boophilus) decoloratus (n=45), and rhipicephalus sanguineus (n=20) were sampled. pathogens identified in ticks included p ... | 2012 | 22326937 |
| tick-borne rickettsiae in guinea and liberia. | while the high seroprevalence for the rickettsiae that cause spotted fevers and the multiple pathogenic rickettsiae is known, the data on the distribution of rickettsial diseases in africa are often incomplete. we collected ticks from domestic or wild animals (generally a source of bushmeat) that were in contact with humans in 2 neighboring countries of tropical west africa, guinea and liberia. in total, 382 ticks representing 6 species were collected in liberia and 655 ticks representing 7 spec ... | 2012 | 22309858 |
| rickettsia africae infection in a japanese traveller with many tick bites. | 2012 | 22277948 | |
| molecular detection of spotted fever group rickettsiae associated with ixodid ticks in egypt. | tick-borne diseases comprise a complex epidemiological and ecological network that connects the vectors, pathogens, and a group of host species. the aim of this study was to identify bacteria from the genus rickettsia associated with ixodid ticks infesting camels and cows in egypt. ticks were collected from 6 different localities: qina, giza, qalet el nakhl, new valley, el arish, and minufia, from july to october 2008. species were identified using pcr, followed by sequencing. the glta and rompa ... | 2012 | 22217182 |
| 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 |
| molecular diagnostics of rickettsia africae infection in travelers returning from south africa to the netherlands. | abstract background: african tick-bite fever (atbf) is frequently diagnosed in the netherlands in travelers returning from south africa. it is caused by rickettsia africae and diagnosis is based on travel history and clinical presentation and usually confirmed by detecting serum antibodies against rickettsiae of the spotted fever group. however, these typically occur late in the course of the disease, and a mild clinical course or early antibiotic treatment can diminish antibody production. ... | 2011 | 21867422 |
| travel-associated zoonotic bacterial diseases. | purpose of review: bacterial zoonoses are increasingly described in association with travel. some bacterial zoonoses constitute important causes of post-travel illness. we focus on leptospirosis and rickettsiosis - the most common travel-associated bacterial zoonoses. recent findings: leptospirosis is regarded to be the most common zoonotic disease worldwide. in industrialized countries recreational exposures, both domestic and overseas, are increasingly becoming a major source of infection. asy ... | 2011 | 21788890 |
| risk factors for african tick-bite fever in rural central africa. | african tick-bite fever is an emerging infectious disease caused by the spotted fever group rickettsia, rickettsia africae, and is transmitted by ticks of the genus amblyomma. to determine the seroprevalence of exposure to r. africae and risk factors associated with infection, we conducted a cross-sectional study of persons in seven rural villages in distinct ecological habitats of cameroon. we examined 903 plasma samples by using an indirect immunofluorescence assay for antibodies to r. africae ... | 2011 | 21460018 |
| [rickettsia africae infection among participants in a women's safari to south africa]. | preface: in recent years infections with rickettsia africae (african tick bite fever) have become a common and important cause of febrile illness among travelers returning from sub-saharan africa, primarily from south africa. | 2010 | 21302470 |
| emergence of rickettsia africae, oceania. | we detected rickettsia africae, the agent of african tick-bite fever (atbf), by amplification of fragments of glta, ompa, and ompb genes from 3 specimens of amblyomma loculosum ticks collected from humans and birds in new caledonia. clinicians who treat persons in this region should be on alert for atbf. | 2011 | 21192865 |
| rickettsia africae in amblyomma variegatum and domestic ruminants on eight caribbean islands. | we used pcrs with omp a primers to determine if spotted fever group rickettsiae occurred in amblyomma variegatum from 6 caribbean islands. positive amplicons were obtained from ticks from the u.s. virgin islands (9/18; 50%), dominica (39/171; 30%), montserrat (2/5; 40%), nevis (17/34; 50%), st. kitts (46/227; 20%), and st. lucia (1/14; 7%). sequences for a convenience sample of reaction products obtained from a. variegatum on st. kitts (7), american virgin islands (4), montserrat (2), and st. lu ... | 2010 | 21158615 |
| tick-borne rickettsioses, neglected emerging diseases in rural senegal. | rickettsioses are one of the most important causes of systemic febrile illness among travelers from developed countries, but little is known about their incidence in indigenous populations, especially in west africa. | 2010 | 20856858 |
| african tick-bite fever: a new entity in the differential diagnosis of multiple eschars in travelers. description of five cases imported from south africa to switzerland. | african tick-bite fever (atbf) is a newly described spotted fever rickettsiosis that frequently presents with multiple eschars in travelers returning from sub-saharan africa and, to a lesser extent, from the west indies. it is caused by the bite of an infected amblyomma tick, whose hunting habits explain the typical presence of multiple inoculation skin lesions and the occurrence of clustered cases. the etiological agent of atbf is rickettsia africae, an emerging tick-borne pathogenic bacterium. ... | 2010 | 20233665 |
| rickettsia africae, western africa. | 2010 | 20202453 | |
| novel spotted fever group rickettsiosis, brazil. | we report a clinical case of spotted fever group rickettsiosis acquired in sao paulo, brazil. definitive diagnosis was supported by seroconversion between acute-phase and convalescent-phase serum samples. molecular analysis of skin samples indicated the agent was a novel spotted fever group strain closely related to rickettsia africae, r. parkeri, and r. sibirica. | 2010 | 20202436 |
| rickettsia africae infection in man after travel to ethiopia. | 2009 | 19891894 | |
| new approaches to detection and identification of rickettsia africae and ehrlichia ruminantium in amblyomma variegatum (acari: ixodidae) ticks from the caribbean. | imported from africa in the 1700s and despite frequent modern eradication efforts, amblyomma variegatum (f.) spread through the caribbean by cattle transport, small ruminants, and migrating birds. a. variegatum is a vector for rickettsia africae, the causative agent of african tick bite fever, and ehrlichia ruminantium, the causative agent of heartwater. we examined 95 a. variegatum and six rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus (canestrini) collected from cattle at an abattoir in antigua. engorged ... | 2009 | 19645301 |
| prediction of rickettsial skin eschars in humans using an experimental guinea pig model. | until now, when a new rickettsia species was isolated in a tick, it was not possible to predict whether it was a human pathogen or if it would cause a skin eschar at the infection site. guinea pigs are injected intradermally with 25 different rickettsia species or subspecies: 16 induced an eschar, 5 induced inflammatory lesions and 4 have no effect. we observed that the occurrence of skin eschars in this model was significantly correlated (p <0.05) with observations of skin eschars in humans (14 ... | 2009 | 19527779 |
| analysis of the rickettsia africae genome reveals that virulence acquisition in rickettsia species may be explained by genome reduction. | the rickettsia genus includes 25 validated species, 17 of which are proven human pathogens. among these, the pathogenicity varies greatly, from the highly virulent r. prowazekii, which causes epidemic typhus and kills its arthropod host, to the mild pathogen r. africae, the agent of african tick-bite fever, which does not affect the fitness of its tick vector. | 2009 | 19379498 |
| pristinamycin for rickettsia africae infection. | african tick bite fever is caused by rickettsia africae. the number of reported cases in international travelers has significantly increased recently. the gold standard treatment is doxycycline. here, we present a case of r africae infection associated with quick complete resolution following the initiation of pristinamycin therapy. | 2009 | 19335816 |
| tick-borne rickettsioses in america: unanswered questions and emerging diseases. | during most of the 20th century, rickettsia rickettsii, the agent of rocky mountain spotted fever, was considered the only tick-borne rickettsia associated with human diseases in the americas. this dogma suggested that the other characterized and noncharacterized rickettsiae isolated from ticks were not pathogenic to humans. this concept has been modified extensively in the past 10 years with the identification of at least three additional rickettsial species that cause human tick-borne ricketts ... | 2009 | 19094824 |
| relative chemokine and adhesion molecule expression in mediterranean spotted fever and african tick bite fever. | mediterranean spotted fever (msf) caused by rickettsia conorii (r. conorii) is a potential lethal disease while african tick bite fever (atbf) caused by rickettsia africae is a self-limiting flu-like illness. we hypothesized that different inflammatory potential in endothelial cells could contribute to the different clinical features in these rickettsioses. | 2009 | 19091423 |
| african tick bite fever in elderly patients: 8 cases in french tourists returning from south africa. | african tick-bite fever, a tickborne disease caused by rickettsia africae, is endemic in rural areas of sub-saharan africa and in the french west indies. most cases reported in the literature occurred in middle-aged, otherwise-healthy persons and corresponded to benign diseases. the course of african tick bite fever in elderly people is less well documented. | 2008 | 18558881 |
| two cases of cellulitis in the course of african tick bite fever: a fortuitous association? | in african tick bite fever (atbf), inoculation eschar - resulting from disruption of the cutaneous barrier - may be a risk factor for cellulitis. we report 2 cases of atbf associated with cellulitis. a 77-year-old woman was referred for severe leg cellulitis upon returning from sub-saharan africa. she developed erythematous macules. rickettsia africae was detected by pcr assay from a skin biopsy specimen, and atbf diagnosis was confirmed. a 75-year-old man was hospitalized after his return from ... | 2008 | 18503259 |
| molecular detection of spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks from ethiopia and chad. | dna extracted from 363 ticks collected in ethiopia and 9 ticks collected in chad, africa were screened by pcr to detect dna from spotted fever group rickettsiae. fifteen ticks (4.1%) collected in ethiopia and one tick (11%) collected in chad tested positive when pcr targeting the glta and ompa rickettsial genes was performed. pcr-positive products of the glta and ompa genes were used for dna sequencing. rickettsia africae was detected in 12/118 amblyomma lepidum and in 1/2 a. variegatum. also, 2 ... | 2008 | 18440576 |
| tick bite fever and q fever - a south african perspective. | tick bite fever (tbf) and q fever are zoonotic infections, highly prevalent in southern africa, which are caused by different genera of obligate intracellular bacteria. while tbf was first described nearly 100 years ago, it has only recently been discovered that there are several rickettsial species transmitted in southern africa, the most common of which is rickettsia africae. this helps to explain the highly variable clinical presentation of tbf, ranging from mild to severe or even fatal, that ... | 2007 | 18250937 |
| african tick bite fever--papulovesicular exanthem with fever after staying in south africa. | in the wake of expanding international tourism, rickettsioses are increasingly observed also in central europe. african tick bite fever is a recently described, acute febrile illness with characteristic skin lesions. it is caused by rickettsia africae, which is transmitted to humans by ticks of the amblyomma genus. a 60-year-old woman presented with a papulovesic-ular exanthem, fever, and headache after returning from south africa. a purple nodule with central necrosis ("tache noire"or "inoculat ... | 2008 | 18021248 |
| detection of rickettsia africae in rhipicephalus (boophilus) decoloratus ticks from the republic of botswana, south africa. | a total of 53 engorged adult ticks belonging to the species rhipicephalus (boophilus) decoloratus (n = 9), rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi (n = 27), rhipicephalus appendiculatus (n = 9), amblyomma hebraeum (n = 5), and hyalomma marginatum turanicum (n = 3), were removed from oryx in botswana (south africa). they were tested for the presence of spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsia and anaplasma phagocytophilum using polymerase chain reaction (pcr). seventy-seven percent of r. decoloratus as well as ... | 2007 | 17690416 |
| histologic features and immunodetection of african tick-bite fever eschar. | african tick-bite fever (atbf) is a rickettsiosis caused by rickettsia africae. we describe histologic features and immunodetection of r. africae in cutaneous inoculation eschars from 8 patients with atbf, which was diagnosed by culture or association of positive pcr detection and positive serologic results. we used quantitative image analysis to compare the pattern of inflammation of these eschars with those from mediterranean spotted fever. we evaluated the diagnostic value of immunohistochemi ... | 2006 | 17073080 |
| increased levels of soluble cd40l in african tick bite fever: possible involvement of tlrs in the pathogenic interaction between rickettsia africae, endothelial cells, and platelets. | the pathophysiological hallmark of spotted fever group rickettsioses comprises infection of endothelial cells with subsequent infiltration of inflammatory cells. based on its ability to promote inflammation and endothelial cell activation, we investigated the role of cd40l in african tick bite fever (atbf), caused by rickettsia africae, using different experimental approaches. several significant findings were revealed. 1) patients with atbf (n = 15) had increased serum levels of soluble cd40 li ... | 2006 | 16888032 |
| threats to international travellers posed by tick-borne diseases. | to date, 14 tick-borne diseases have been reported in international travellers, the majority of cases being lyme borreliosis caused by borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in north america and eurasia, african tick bite fever caused by rickettsia africae in sub-saharan africa and eastern caribbean, and central european encephalitis caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus in europe. the clinical presentation is frequently non-specific, and tick-borne diseases should always, in the absence of other lik ... | 2006 | 16887719 |
| rickettsia africae in the west indies. | rickettsia africae is the agent of african tick-bite fever, a mild but common disease of local persons and tourists in africa. the major vector of this spotted fever group rickettsia is most likely amblyomma variegatum, the tropical bont tick, which has become widely distributed through the west indies in the last 30 years. this report reviews all available information on r. africae in the west indies. | 2006 | 16494746 |
| sub-acute neuropathy in patients with african tick bite fever. | african tick bite fever (atbf) caused by rickettsia africae is an emerging health problem in travellers to sub-saharan africa. we here present 6 patients with evidence of long-lasting sub-acute neuropathy following atbf contracted during safari trips to southern africa. three patients developed radiating pain, paresthaesia and/or motor weakness of extremities, 2 had hemi-facial pain and paresthaesia, and 1 developed unilateral sensorineural hearing loss. when evaluated 3-26 months after symptom ... | 2006 | 16449002 |
| cardiac involvement in a patient with clinical and serological evidence of african tick-bite fever. | myocarditis and pericarditis are rare complications of rickettsiosis, usually associated with rickettsia rickettsii and r. conorii. african tick-bite fever (atbf) is generally considered as a benign disease and no cases of myocardial involvement due to rickettsia africae, the agent of atbf, have yet been described. | 2005 | 16242016 |
| repellent efficacy of four commercial deet lotions against amblyomma hebraeum (acari: ixodidae), the principal vector of rickettsia africae in southern africa. | african tick bite fever, caused by rickettsia africae, is an emerging zoonotic infection in rural sub-saharan africa and the french west indies. we tested the repellent efficacy of four commercial diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (deet) lotions against amblyomma hebraeum koch, the principal vector of r. africae in southern africa, by using a human bioassay in which repellent-treated fingers were presented to questing tick nymphs hourly for 4h. three lotions with 19.5, 31.6 and 80% deet concentrations, ... | 2005 | 15993907 |
| update on spotted fever group rickettsiae in south africa. | until very recently, mediterranean spotted fever caused by rickettsia conorii was the only spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsioses recognized in southern africa. however, increasing medical awareness of tick-borne infections, together with the introduction of improved isolation methods and the availability of molecular techniques, have led to the identification of several new sfg rickettsioses in the region. african tick bite fever, caused by rickettsia africae, is currently the most important o ... | 2004 | 15631070 |
| concomitant or consecutive infection with coxiella burnetii and tickborne diseases. | q fever is a worldwide zoonosis caused by coxiella burnetii, which can be isolated from ticks. reports of people with both q fever and other tickborne diseases are rare. in this study, we describe 6 patients with q fever who were infected with 1 of the following tickborne pathogens: rickettsia conorii (2 patients), rickettsia slovaca (2), rickettsia africae (1), and francisella tularensis (1). | 2004 | 15614696 |
| rickettsioses and the international traveler. | the rickettsioses--zoonotic bacterial infections transmitted to humans by arthropods--were for many years considered to be oddities in travel medicine. during the previous 2 decades, however, reports of >450 travel-associated cases have been published worldwide, the vast majority being murine typhus caused by rickettsia typhi, mediterranean spotted fever caused by rickettsia conorii, african tick bite fever caused by rickettsia africae, and scrub typhus caused by orientia tsutsugamushi. most pat ... | 2004 | 15546086 |
| african tick-bite fever: four cases among swiss travelers returning from south africa. | african tick-bite fever (atbf) is a recently described disease belonging to the spotted fever group. it is caused by rickettsia africae, and cases are mainly diagnosed in travelers returning from sub-saharan africa. | 2004 | 15541225 |
| [rickettsia africae, the agent of african tick-bite fever: an emerging pathogen in the west indies and reunion island (indian ocean)]. | rickettsia africae is the agent of african tick bite fever, an emerging disease transmitted by amblyomma ticks in sub-saharan africa. in 1998, we reported the first documented case of r. africae in the new world, in a patient who had returned from guadeloupe. in order to confirm the presence of r. africae in the west indies, entomologic surveys were conducted from 1999 to 2003 to collect amblyomma, which are considered as potential vectors and reservoirs of the bacteria. ticks were used as epide ... | 2004 | 15462202 |
| detection of rickettsia africae in patients and ticks along the coastal region of cameroon. | rickettsia africae was identified in seven (6%) of 118 patients with acute fevers of unknown etiology proven not to be malaria or typhoid fever from clinics along the coastal region of cameroon by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) amplification and sequencing of the citrate synthase (glta) and outer membrane protein a (ompa) genes of rickettsia. the majority (71%) of the patients were female. clinical manifestations included fever (100%), headache (71%), myalgia (71%), arthralgia (43%), pulmonary ... | 2004 | 15381820 |
| comparison of immunofluorescence, western blotting, and cross-adsorption assays for diagnosis of african tick bite fever. | in testing paired serum samples from 40 consecutive cases of african tick bite fever, we detected diagnostic antibodies against spotted fever group rickettsiae in 45% of the patients by immunofluorescence assay (ifa) and in 100% of the patients by western blotting (wb) (p < 0.01). a specific diagnosis of rickettsia africae infection could be established in 15% of the patients by ifa and in 73% of the patients by a combination of wb and cross-adsorption assays (p < 0.01). | 2004 | 15242958 |
| spotted fever group rickettsiae from ticks captured in sudan. | ticks were collected from ruminants in various areas of sudan in 1998 and 2000. primer pairs of rickettsial citrate synthase gene (glta) and a spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsial 190-kda surface antigen gene (rompa), respectively, were used for identification. polymerase chain reaction (pcr)-positive products were used for dna sequencing. the glta gene was detected in 55% of the ticks examined (57/104). among the 57 ticks studied, 19 were positive for the rompa gene. thus, 18% of the ticks exa ... | 2004 | 15218219 |
| [rickettsia africae infection. three cases confirmed by pcr]. | african tick bite fever or rickettsia africae infection has been recognized as an emerging health problem in the last few years. the aim of this study was to describe 3 cases of spanish tourists who suffered from r. africae infection after visiting south africa. | 2004 | 15207109 |
| tick-borne rickettsioses in international travellers. | tick-borne rickettsioses are of emerging importance in today's travel medicine but have until recently received little attention. we describe the current knowledge of tick-borne rickettsioses as they relate to international travel, their microbiological diagnosis, treatment, possible prevention, and future prospects. | 2004 | 15109588 |
| acute spotted fever rickettsiosis among febrile patients, cameroon. | although potential arthropod vectors are abundant in cameroon, acute febrile illnesses are rarely evaluated for arboviral or rickettsial infections. serum samples from 234 acutely febrile patients at clinics in tiko and buea, cameroon, were examined for antibodies to rickettsia africae and african alphaviruses and flaviviruses. these serum samples did not contain antibodies against typhoid, and blood malarial parasites were not detected. serum samples of 32% contained immunoglobulin m antibodies ... | 2004 | 15109409 |
| rickettsia species infecting amblyomma cooperi ticks from an area in the state of são paulo, brazil, where brazilian spotted fever is endemic. | owing to the potential role of the tick amblyomma cooperi in the enzootic cycle of rickettsia rickettsii, the etiologic agent of brazilian spotted fever (bsf), this study evaluated infection by rickettsia species in a. cooperi ticks collected from an area in brazil where bsf is endemic. among a total of 40 a. cooperi adult ticks collected in an area of bsf endemicity in the state of são paulo, pcr analysis detected dna of rickettsia bellii in 16 ticks (40%), and 3 other ticks (7.5%) were positiv ... | 2004 | 14715737 |
| african tick bite fever. | african tick bite fever is an acute febrile illness that is frequently accompanied by headache, prominent neck muscle myalgia, inoculation eschars, and regional lymphadenitis. the disease is caused by rickettsia africae, a recently identified spotted fever group rickettsia, which is transmitted by ungulate ticks of the amblyomma genus in rural sub-saharan africa and the french west indies. whereas reports on african tick bite fever in indigenous populations are scarce, the number of reported cas ... | 2003 | 12954562 |
| a survey for spotted fever group rickettsiae and ehrlichiae in amblyomma variegatum from st. kitts and nevis. | eighty-nine amblyomma variegatum ticks were collected from the islands of st. kitts and nevis in the caribbean and preserved in 70% ethanol or local rum. after being washed in sterile water, their dna was extracted and analyzed by a polymerase chain reaction (pcr) for dna of spotted fever group rickettsiae and ehrlichiae. none of the tested ticks was positive in a pcr assay using the primers 16s ehrd and 16s ehrr for the 16s rrna gene of ehrlichia spp.. forty-one percent of the a. variegatum (36 ... | 2003 | 12932098 |
| first detection of rickettsia africae on martinique, in the french west indies. | 2003 | 12930619 | |
| spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks from the masai mara region of kenya. | we have identified for the first time rickettsia africae, and the ticks that harbored them, in kenya. a total of 5,325 ticks were collected from vegetation, livestock, and wild animals during two field trips to southwestern kenya. most were immature forms (85.2%) belonging to the genera amblyomma or rhipicephalus. the adults also included representatives from the genus boophilus. ticks were assessed for rickettsial dna by a polymerase chain reaction (pcr) using primers for the spotted fever grou ... | 2003 | 12812343 |