Publications

TitleAbstractYear
Filter
PMID
Filter
isolation and identification of a rickettsial strain related to rickettsia massiliae in greek ticks.adult ticks were collected in a rural area of central greece in order to isolate and identify rickettsiae. a hemolymph test using gimenez staining was used for detection, while simultaneous isolation was performed using the shell-vial technique. serologic, antigenic, and genomic characterization of the isolates was achieved by microimmunofluorescence, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (sds-page) and western blotting, the polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment ...19947908503
rickettsia massiliae sp. nov., a new spotted fever group rickettsia.we propose the name rickettsia massiliae sp. nov. (type strain, mtu1 in the collection of the world health organization collaborative center for rickettsial reference, marseille, france) for a spotted fever group rickettsia determined to be distinct from previously recognized species by the serotyping method (l. beati, j.-p. finidori, b. gilot, and d. raoult, j. clin. microbiol. 30:1922-1930, 1992). this rickettsia has biological characteristics similar to those of the other spotted fever group ...19938240964
genotypic identification and phylogenetic analysis of the spotted fever group rickettsiae by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, we studied the chromosomes of spotted fever group rickettsiae. we digested the dna of 16 species currently known to belong to this group with smai, eagi, and bsshii. the genome size of 13 rickettsiae was between 1,200 and 1,300 kb. "rickettsia massiliae" and "r. helvetica" genome sizes were 1,370 and 1,397 kb, respectively, and that of r. bellii was 1,660 kb. it was possible to obtain distinctive patterns for each species, but in r. conorii, 10 isolates ex ...19938393009
phenotypic and genotypic characterization of spotted fever group rickettsiae isolated from catalan rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks.eighty-nine rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks and 21 rhipicephalus bursa ticks collected in catalonia were tested by the hemolymph test to establish their infection rate with spotted fever group rickettsiae. by giménez staining, 11.2% of the r. sanguineus isolates and 0% of the r. bursa isolates were found to contain rickettsia-like organisms. six spotted fever group rickettsial strains (bar29, bar31, gir4, tar1, tar2, and tar3) were isolated from these ticks and were characterized by phenotypic an ...19968897166
citrate synthase gene comparison, a new tool for phylogenetic analysis, and its application for the rickettsiae.using pcr and an automated laser fluorescent dna sequencer, we amplified and sequenced a 1,234-bp fragment of the citrate synthase-encoding gene (glta) of 28 bacteria belonging to the genus rickettsia. comparative sequence analysis showed that most of the spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae belonged to one of two subgroups. the first subgroup included rickettsia massiliae, strain bar 29, rickettsia rhipicephali, "rickettsia aeschlimanni," and rickettsia montana, which have been isolated only f ...19979103608
production of monoclonal antibodies against rickettsia massiliae and their use in antigenic and epidemiological studies.rickettsiae are gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacteria which have historically been divided into three groups: the typhus group, the scrub typhus group, and the spotted fever group (sfg). recently, several new sfg rickettsiae have been characterized, and most of these species are associated with ticks and have, as yet, no known pathogenicity toward humans. rickettsia massiliae, which is widely distributed in europe and africa, is one such rickettsia. in order to investigate the antigenic ...19979196180
taxonomic relationships among spotted fever group rickettsiae as revealed by antigenic analysis with monoclonal antibodies.the spotted fever group (sfg) is made up of more than 20 different rickettsial species and strains. study of the taxonomic relationships among the group has been attempted by phenotypic, genotypic, and phylogenetic analyses. in this study, we determined taxonomic relationships among the sfg rickettsiae by comparative analysis of immunogenic epitopes reactive against a panel of monoclonal antibodies. a total of 98 monoclonal antibodies, which were directed against epitopes on the major immunodomi ...19989542904
phylogenetic analysis of spotted fever group rickettsiae by study of the outer surface protein rompa.rickettsiae are classified in the order rickettsiales and have been included in the alpha subclass of the class proteobacteria on the basis of 16s rrna gene sequence comparison. to estimate the evolutionary forces that have shaped the members of the spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae, the ompa gene (apart from the tandem repeat units), encoding an antigenic high-molecular-mass membrane protein specific for the group, was amplified and sequenced from 21 isolates. the phylogenetic relationship ...19989734038
phylogeny of rickettsia spp. inferred by comparing sequences of 'gene d', which encodes an intracytoplasmic protein.'gene d' is the ps120-protein-encoding gene, first described in rickettsia conorii and rickettsia japonica. sequence analysis of a 3030 bp fragment of 'gene d' in 24 representatives of the genus rickettsia was carried out to complete phylogenetic analyses previously inferred by comparison of gene sequences encoding citrate synthase, 17 kda antigen and rompa and rompb. the phylogenetic relationships between rickettsiae were inferred from the comparison of both the gene and the derived protein seq ...200111491333
rhipicephalus ticks infected with rickettsia and coxiella in southern switzerland (canton ticino).ticks of the rhipicephalus sanguineus species complex may be vector of various pathogens including rickettsia conorii (the etiological agent of the mediterranean spotted fever) and coxiella burnetii (cause of the query (q) fever). r. sanguineus ticks have been imported in several parts of central and northern europe, especially in environments such as kennels and houses providing the appropriate microclimatic conditions and the blood source necessary for their survival. since 1940 these ticks ha ...200212797987
transmission of rickettsia massiliae in the tick, rhipicephalus turanicus.rickettsia massiliae, strain bar29, was detected in engorged female ticks of the rhiphicephalus sanguineus group collected in corsica, a french mediterranean island. ticks were identified by molecular analysis as rhipicephalus turanicus (pomerantsev) (acari: ixodidae). twenty larvae of the second generation obtained from a r. massiliae-infected, engorged female were tested by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) and all were positive for r. massiliae. larvae of the same cohort were fed on rabbits and ...200516134974
tick species and tick-borne infections identified in population from a rural area of spain.to determine the tick species that bite humans in the province of soria (spain) and ascertain the tick-borne pathogens that threaten people's health in that province, 185 tick specimens were collected from 179 patients who sought medical advice at health-care centres. the ticks were identified, and their dna examined by pcr for pathogens. most ticks were collected in autumn and spring (59 and 57 respectively). nine species of ticks were identified, the most frequent being dermacentor marginatus ...200516181517
rickettsia massiliae human isolation. 200616634183
isolation and identification of rickettsia massiliae from rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks collected in arizona.twenty rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks collected in eastern arizona were tested by pcr assay to establish their infection rate with spotted fever group rickettsiae. with a nested pcr assay which detects a fragment of the rickettsia genus-specific 17-kda antigen gene (htra), five ticks (25%) were found to contain rickettsial dna. one rickettsial isolate was obtained from these ticks by inoculating a suspension of a triturated tick into monolayers of vero e6 monkey kidney cells and xtc-2 clawed toa ...200616885311
rickettsia massiliae in ticks removed from humans in castilla y león, spain. 200617061097
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. ...200617114730
expression of rompa and rompb protein in rickettsia massiliae during the rhipicephalus turanicus life cycle.rhipicephalus turanicus tick colony infected in the laboratory with rickettsia massiliae showed that the rickettsia is transovarially and transdatially tramsmitted. the expression of rompb did not change with temperature or the stages of the tick life cycle. in contrast, rompa was less expressed during the larval stage.200617114739
spotted fever rickettsioses in southern and eastern europe.mediterranean spotted fever due to rickettsia conorii conorii was thought, for many years, to be the only tick-borne rickettsial disease prevalent in southern and eastern europe. however, in recent years, six more species or subspecies within the spotted fever group of the genus rickettsia have been described as emerging pathogens in this part of the world. tick-borne agents include rickettsia conorii israelensis, rickettsia conorii caspia, rickettsia aeschlimannii, rickettsia slovaca, rickettsi ...200717266709
lateral gene transfer between obligate intracellular bacteria: evidence from the rickettsia massiliae genome.rickettsia massiliae is a tick-borne obligate intracellular alpha-proteobacteria causing spotted fever in humans. here, we present the sequence of its genome, comprising a 1.3-mb circular chromosome and a 15.3-kb plasmid. the chromosome exhibits long-range colinearity with the other spotted fever group rickettsia genomes, except for a large fragment specific to r. massiliae that contains 14 tra genes presumably involved in pilus formation and conjugal dna transfer. we demonstrate that the tra re ...200717916642
spotted fever group rickettsia in brown dog ticks rhipicephalus sanguineus in southwestern spain.a total of 2,229 adults ticks (1,428 males and 801 females) belonging to the brown dog tick, rhipicephalus sanguineus latreille, 1806, collected from dogs in seville province (andalusia), distributed in 500 lots ranging from one to eight specimens per lot, were examined for the presence of rickettsiae by molecular techniques. specific rickettsiae dna were detected in 90 lots (18%) of ticks tested. sequence analysis of amplicons revealed that r. sanguineus ticks were infected exclusively with ric ...200818340465
detection of a spotted fever group rickettsia in the tick ixodes tasmani collected from koalas in port macquarie, australia.four species of rickettsia are recognized as endemic to australia. this study reports the detection of a new spotted fever group rickettsia in the common marsupial tick ixodes tasmani neumann collected from koalas (phascolarctos cinereus) in port macquarie, nsw, australia. based on the results of polymerase chain reaction (pcr) amplification of extracted tick dna with primers targeting the citrate synthase gene (glta) and the outer membrane proteins a and b (ompa. ompb), rickettsiae were detecte ...200818714878
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 ...200919094824
detection of a hepatozoon and spotted fever group rickettsia species in the common marsupial tick (ixodes tasmani) collected from wild tasmanian devils (sarcophilus harrisii), tasmania.tasmanian devils are the largest extant marsupial carnivores, confined to the australian island state of tasmania. the iconic marsupial has dramatically declined in number since the discovery of devil facial tumor disease in 1996 and efforts are being made to uncover vital information to assist in the long-term survival of the species. ticks are the main vectors of arthropod-borne disease in animals, raising the question of whether tasmanian devils may be host to arthropods capable of harboring ...200919303711
ecology of rickettsia in south america.until the year 2000, only three rickettsia species were known in south america: (i) rickettsia rickettsii, transmitted by the ticks amblyomma cajennense, and amblyomma aureolatum, reported in colombia, argentina, and brazil, where it is the etiological agent of rocky mountain spotted fever; (ii) rickettsia prowazekii, transmitted by body lice and causing epidemic typhus in highland areas, mainly in peru; (iii) rickettsia typhi, transmitted by fleas and causing endemic typhus in many countries. d ...200919538276
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.200919547738
rickettsia felis and rickettsia massiliae in ivory coast, africa. 200919548990
molecular detection of rickettsia massiliae, rickettsia sibirica mongolitimonae and rickettsia conorii israelensis in ticks from israel.rickettsioses are recognized as important emerging vector-borne infections of humans worldwide. previous reports documented the presence of two spotted fever group rickettsiae in israel, rickettsia conorii israelensis and rickettsia felis. the aim of this study was to characterize the diversity of rickettsiae in ticks collected from vegetation and the ground, from different parts of israel. non-engorged questing adult ticks were collected from 13 localities. a total of 131 tick pools, 83 of rhip ...201120331680
a patient from argentina infected with rickettsia massiliae.the first confirmed case of rickettsia massiliae infection in the new world (buenos aires, argentina) is described. to date, only two cases of human infection had been reported in europe. the patient, a woman, had a fever, a palpable purpuric rash on the upper and lower extremities, and a skin lesion (eschar) on the right leg compatible with tache noire. when interviewed, she reported having had contact with dog ticks. after treatment with doxycycline for 12 days, her symptoms resolved. ricketts ...201020348520
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.201020856858
a focus of dogs and rickettsia massiliae-infected rhipicephalus sanguineus in california.a recurrent focus of rhipicephalus sanguineus infestation was investigated in a suburban area of southern california after reports of suspected rocky mountain spotted fever in two dogs on the same property. abundant quantities of rh. sanguineus were collected on the property and repeatedly from each dog, and rickettsia massiliae dna was detected by polymerase chain reaction (pcr). whole blood and serum samples from four dogs were tested by using pcr and microimmunofluorescent assay for antibodie ...201121292893
spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks in cyprus.in two surveys conducted from march 1999 to march 2001 and from january 2004 to december 2006, a total of 3,950 ticks (belonging to ten different species) were collected from seven domestic and wild animals (goat, sheep, cattle, dog, fox, hare, and mouflon) from different localities throughout cyprus. in order to establish their infection rate with spotted fever rickettsiae (sfg), ticks were pooled and tested by polymerase chain reaction targeting glta and ompa genes, followed by sequencing anal ...201121833539
Rickettsiae in arthropods collected from red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in France.The aim of our study was to detect the presence of Rickettsia spp. and Bartonella spp. in ticks and fleas collected from red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in southeastern France during 2008. Using a genus-specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay, which was followed by a species-specific qPCR assay for the positive samples, 45.2% (33/73) of ticks (Rhipicephalus turanicus) were found to be infected with Rickettsia massiliae. 10.5% (2/19) of the fleas (Archaeopsylla erinacei) collected in the study tested po ...201122118782
spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks collected from wild animals in israel.we report molecular evidence for the presence of spotted fever group rickettsiae (sfgr) in ticks collected from roe deer, addax, red foxes, and wild boars in israel. rickettsia aeschlimannii was detected in hyalomma marginatum and hyalomma detritum while rickettsia massiliae was present in rhipicephalus turanicus ticks. furthermore, a novel uncultured sfgr was detected in haemaphysalis adleri and haemaphysalis parva ticks from golden jackals. the pathogenicity of the novel sfgr for humans is unk ...201122049050
Molecular detection of rickettsial agents in ticks and fleas collected from a European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) in Marseilles, France.The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is a synanthropic nocturnal insectivore commonly found in the countryside and in the parks and gardens. Because hedgehogs are already involved in the transmission of a number of zoonoses, including salmonellosis and ringworm, we decided to study their possible role in the epidemiology of the spotted fever group of Rickettsia. We collected ticks and fleas from a hedgehog that was captured in the city of Marseilles in France. Using a genus-specific quant ...201122169021
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 ...201122092999
spotted fever group rickettsiae in dermacentor reticulatus and haemaphysalis punctata ticks in the uk.spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae have recently been identified for the first time in uk ticks. this included the findings of rickettsia helvetica in ixodes ricinus and rickettsia raoultii in dermacentor reticulatus. this paper further investigates the occurrence of sfg rickettsiae in additional geographically distinct populations of d. reticulatus, and for the first time, investigates the occurrence of sfg rickettsiae in uk populations of haemaphysalis punctata ticks.201323870197
modularity and determinants of a (bi-)polarization control system from free-living and obligate intracellular bacteria.although free-living and obligate intracellular bacteria are both polarized it is unclear whether the underlying polarization mechanisms and effector proteins are conserved. here we dissect at the cytological, functional and structural level a conserved polarization module from the free living α-proteobacterium caulobacter crescentus and an orthologous system from an obligate intracellular (rickettsial) pathogen. the nmr solution structure of the zinc-finger (znr) domain from the bifunctional an ...201628008852
ticks and associated pathogens collected from dogs and cats in belgium.although ixodes spp. are the most common ticks in north-western europe, recent reports indicated an expanding geographical distribution of dermacentor reticulatus in western europe. recently, the establishment of a d. reticulatus population in belgium was described. d. reticulatus is an important vector of canine and equine babesiosis and can transmit several rickettsia species, coxiella burnetii and tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev), whilst ixodes spp. are vectors of pathogens causing babesi ...201323777784
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 ...201424615133
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.201626771308
tick-borne pathogens of zoonotic and veterinary importance in nigerian cattle.ticks and tick-borne diseases undermine cattle fitness and productivity in the whole of sub-saharan africa, including nigeria. in this west african country, cattle are challenged by numerous tick species, especially during the wet season. consequently, several tbds are known to be endemic in nigerian cattle, including anaplasmosis, babesiosis, cowdriosis and theilerioris (by theileria mutans and theileria velifera). to date, all investigations on cattle tbds in nigeria have been based on cytolog ...201627090756
the first detection of rickettsia aeschlimannii and rickettsia massiliae in rhipicephalus turanicus ticks, in northwest china.rickettsia spp. belonging to the spotted fever group (sfg) cause infections in humans, domestic animals and wildlife. at least five sfg rickettsial species have been reported in china, but the occurrence of rickettsia aeschlimannii and r. massiliae in ticks has not been characterized to date.201526652857
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.201626771654
detection of rickettsia massiliae in rhipicephalus sanguineus from the eastern united states.we report the first evidence of rickettsia massiliae in the brown dog tick, rhipicephalus sanguineus, from the east coast of the united states. as part of routine pathogen surveillance, dna samples from ixodid ticks were tested for spotted fever group rickettsiae by nested pcr. a r. massiliae-positive tick was collected off a beagle mix recently rescued from north carolina. infection was confirmed by partial sequence analysis of the htra, glta, ompb, ompa, and sca4 genes, which had 100% identity ...201223199270
rickettsial infection caused by accidental conjunctival inoculation.the most common transmission route of tick-borne rickettsia is through tick bite; nevertheless, other transmission routes should also be considered. we report a case of rickettsial infection in a 15-year-old boy caused by accidental contamination of the conjunctiva through the infected fluid of a crushed engorged tick removed from a dog. right eye pain, conjunctival hyperaemia with mucopurulent exudate, chemosis and eyelid oedema were the first signs and symptoms. two days later, the boy develop ...201525568272
detection of rickettsia in rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks and ctenocephalides felis fleas from southeastern tunisia by reverse line blot assay.ticks (n = 663) and fleas (n = 470) collected from domestic animals from southeastern tunisia were screened for rickettsia infection using reverse line blot assay. evidence of spotted fever group rickettsia was obtained. we detected rickettsia felis in fleas, rickettsia massiliae bar 29 and the rickettsia conorii israeli spotted fever strain in ticks, and rickettsia conorii subsp. conorii and rickettsia spp. in both arthropods. the sensitivity of the adopted technique allowed the identification ...201324226919
rickettsia massiliae in the canary islands. 022531111
genome sequence of rickettsia gravesii, isolated from western australian ticks.rickettsia gravesii is a new rickettsia species closely related to the human pathogen rickettsia massiliae. here, we describe the genome sequence of r. gravesii strain bwi-1, isolated from amblyomma triguttatum triguttatum ticks collected from humans on barrow island, western australia.201324285646
molecular detection of emerging tick-borne pathogens in vojvodina, serbia.ticks play an important role in disease transmission globally due to their capability to serve as vectors for human and animal pathogens. the republic of serbia is an endemic area for a large number of tick-borne diseases. however, current knowledge on these diseases in serbia is limited. the aim of this study was to investigate the presence of new emerging tick-borne pathogens in ticks collected from dogs and the vegetation from different parts of vojvodina, serbia. a total of 187 ticks, includ ...201626565929
molecular detection of bacterial and parasitic pathogens in hard ticks from portugal.ticks are important vector arthropods of human and animal pathogens. as information about agents of disease circulating in vectors in portugal is limited, the aim of the present study was to detect bacteria and parasites with veterinary and zoonotic importance in ticks collected from dogs, cats, and field vegetation. a total of 925 ticks, comprising 888 (96.0%) adults, 8 (0.9%) nymphs, and 29 (3.1%) larvae, were collected in 4 geographic areas (districts) of portugal. among those, 620 (67.0%) we ...201424745731
[molecular detection of rickettsia massiliae and anaplasma platys infecting rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks and dogs, bahía blanca (argentina)].rickettsioses, ehrlichioses and anaplasmoses are caused by gram negative obligate intracellular bacteria and transmitted mainly by arthropods.201425491455
molecular characterization of rickettsia massiliae and anaplasma platys infecting rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks and domestic dogs, buenos aires (argentina).rickettsioses, ehrlichioses and anaplasmoses are emerging diseases that are mainly transmitted by arthropods and that affect humans and animals. the aim of the present study was to use molecular techniques to detect and characterize those pathogens in dogs and ticks from buenos aires city. we studied 207 rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks and 52 canine blood samples from poor neighborhoods of buenos aires city. the samples were molecularly screened for the genera rickettsia, ehrlichia, and anaplasma ...201424907186
molecular detection of vector-borne pathogens in blood and splenic samples from dogs with splenic disease.the spleen is a highly perfused organ involved in the immunological control and elimination of vector-borne pathogens (vbp), which could have a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of splenic disease. this study aimed to evaluate certain vbp in samples from dogs with splenic lesions.201728285583
molecular evidence of vector-borne pathogens in dogs and cats and their ectoparasites in algiers, algeria.in algeria, only limited information is currently available on the prevalence of emergent canine and feline vector-borne diseases. the aim of the present work was to detect by qpcr vector-associated bacteria in stray dogs and cats and their ectoparasites from algiers. 18/117 (15.38%) dogs and 2/107 (1.87%) cats were positive for at least one vector-borne agent. coxiella burnetii and bartonella henselae were identified in 1/117 (0.85%) dog individually. ehrlichia canis dna was detected in 17/117 ...201627012917
molecular evidence of ehrlichia canis and rickettsia massiliae in ixodid ticks of carnivores from south hungary.to monitor the emergence of thermophilic, mediterranean ixodid tick species and tick-borne pathogens in southern hungary, 348 ticks were collected from shepherd dogs, red foxes and golden jackals during the summer of 2011. golden jackals shared tick species with both the dog and the red fox in the region. dermacentor nymphs were collected exclusively from dogs, and the sequence identification of these ticks indicated that dogs are preferred hosts of both d. reticulatus and d. marginatus nymphs, ...201323439290
rickettsiae of spotted fever group, borrelia valaisiana, and coxiella burnetii in ticks on passerine birds and mammals from the camargue in the south of france.ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropods that have a limited mobility, but can be transported over large geographical distances by wild and domestic mammals and birds. in this study, we analyze the presence of emerging zoonotic bacteria in ticks collected from passerine birds and mammals present in the camargue, in the south of france, which is a major rallying point for birds migrating from eurasia and africa. the presence of coxiella burnetii, rickettsia, borrelia, and bartonella was examin ...201223141104
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 ...201626718068
molecular detection of vector-borne pathogens in wild and domestic carnivores and their ticks at the human-wildlife interface.urbanization of natural areas is considered one of the causes of the current apparent emergence of infectious diseases. carnivores are among the species that adapt well to urban and periurban environments, facilitating cross-species disease transmission with domestic dogs and cats, and potentially with their owners. the prevalence of vector-borne pathogens (vbp) of zoonotic and veterinary interest was studied in sympatric wild and domestic carnivores into barcelona metropolitan area (ne spain). ...201626643497
detection of rickettsia hoogstraalii, rickettsia helvetica, rickettsia massiliae, rickettsia slovaca and rickettsia aeschlimannii in ticks from sardinia, italy.tick-borne diseases represent a large proportion of infectious diseases that have become a world health concern. the presence of rickettsia spp. was evaluated by standard pcr and sequencing in 123 ticks collected from several mammals and vegetation in sardinia, italy. this study provides the first evidence of the presence of rickettsia hoogstralii in haemaphysalis punctata and haemaphysalis sulcata ticks from mouflon and rickettsia helvetica in ixodes festai ticks from hedgehog. in addition, ric ...201728110915
molecular detection and characterization of spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks from central italy.the aim of this study was to investigate the presence of rickettsial pathogens in ticks from central italy. a total of 113 ticks hailed from latium and tuscany regions were identified and tested by pcr to detect glta, ompa, ompb genes of rickettsia. positive amplicons were sequenced and identified at species level. ticks were analyzed individually or in pools. the percentage of positivity for sfg rickettsiae was 12.4%, expressed as minimum infection rate (mir) assuming that one tick was positive ...201627365155
characterization of spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks from a city park of rome, italy.ticks are vectors and important reservoirs for microbial agents that cause disease in humans and animals. among these pathogens, the members of rickettsia species play an important role in public health.201526783214
rickettsioses in europe.bacteria of the genera rickettsia and orientia (family rickettsiaceae, order rickettsiales) cause rickettsioses worldwide, and are transmitted by lice, fleas, ticks and mites. in europe, only rickettsia spp. cause rickettsioses. with improvement of hygiene, the risk of louse-borne rickettsiosis (epidemic typhus) is low in europe. nevertheless, recrudescent form of rickettsia prowazekii infection persists. there could be an epidemic typhus outbreak if a body lice epidemic occurs under unfavorable ...201626384814
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 ...201223177355
genetic characterization of spotted fever group rickettsiae in questing ixodid ticks collected in israel and environmental risk factors for their infection.this study aimed to genetically characterize spotted fever group rickettsiae (sfgr) in questing ixodid ticks from israel and to identify risk factors associated with sfgr-positive ticks using molecular techniques and geographic information systems (gis) analysis. 1039 ticks from the genus rhipicephalus were collected during 2014. 109/1039 (10·49%) carried sfgr-dna of either rickettsia massiliae (95), 'candidatus rickettsia barbariae' (8) or rickettsia conorii (6). higher prevalence of sfgr was f ...201728330517
rickettsia massiliae infection and senlat syndrome in romania.the purpose of this prospective study is to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of rickettsioses in romania, where only rickettsia conorii is known by clinicians but new rickettsia species have been identified recently in ticks. a total of eight patients, including a nine-year-old child, were included between june 2011 and june 2012, in the hospital for infectious and tropical diseases, bucharest, romania. seven cases presented during summer months and one in spring. six pa ...201627034192
molecular diagnosis of rickettsia infection in patients from tunisia.diagnosis of rickettsioses had largely benefited from the development of molecular techniques. unfortunately, in tunisia, despite the large number of rickettsial cases registered every year, the rickettsia species remain unidentified. in this study, we aimed to detect the rickettsia species in clinical samples using molecular tests. a study was established to analyze skin biopsies, cutaneous swabs, and cerebrospinal fluid samples taken from clinically suspected patients to have rickettsial infec ...201626897395
bacterial agents in 248 ticks removed from people from 2002 to 2013.a retrospective study was conducted to analyze the tick species removed from people and to detect tick-infecting bacteria in the specimens collected over the past 10 years at the reference center for rickettsioses, marseille, france. a total of 248 ticks were removed from 200 people, including dermacentor (73), rhipicephalus (67), ixodes (60), amblyomma (8), argas (3), hyalomma (1), and haemaphysalis (1) species. bacterial dna was detected in 101 ticks: rickettsia slovaca (34%) and rickettsia ra ...201626874669
shell-vial culture, coupled with real-time pcr, applied to rickettsia conorii and rickettsia massiliae-bar29 detection, improving the diagnosis of the mediterranean spotted fever.rickettsia conorii and rickettsia massiliae-bar29 are related to mediterranean spotted fever (msf). they are intracellular microorganisms. the shell-vial culture assay (sv) improved rickettsia culture but it still has some limitations: blood usually contains low amount of microorganisms and the samples that contain the highest amount of them are non-sterile. the objectives of this study were to optimize sv culture conditions and monitoring methods and to establish antibiotic concentrations usefu ...201626830273
rickettsia massiliae and rickettsia conorii israeli spotted fever strain differentially regulate endothelial cell responses.rickettsiae primarily target microvascular endothelial cells. however, it remains elusive how endothelial cell responses to rickettsiae play a role in the pathogenesis of rickettsial diseases. in the present study, we employed two rickettsial species with high sequence homology but differing virulence to investigate the pathological endothelial cell responses. rickettsia massiliae is a newly documented human pathogen that causes a mild spotted fever rickettsiosis. the "israeli spotted fever" str ...201526394396
effects of homologous and heterologous immunization on the reservoir competence of domestic dogs for rickettsia conorii (israelensis).a number of spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae cause serious infections in humans. several antigenically related rickettsial agents may coexist within the same geographical area, and humans or vertebrate hosts may be sequentially exposed to multiple sfg agents. we assessed whether exposure of a vertebrate reservoir to one sfg rickettsia will affect the host's immune response to a related pathogen and the efficiency of transmission to uninfected ticks. two pairs of dogs were each infected with ...201424201056
urban family cluster of spotted fever rickettsiosis linked to rhipicephalus sanguineus infected with rickettsia conorii subsp. caspia and rickettsia massiliae.here, we report an epidemiological and entomological investigation of a cluster of cases of spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiosis occurring in southern france. a family of 3 (husband, wife, and their son) presented with symptoms compatible with sfg rickettsiosis. for 2 patients, serum samples presented increased levels of igm and igg for sfg rickettsia. the patients' home was investigated, and rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks were collected from the floor from behind the furniture. of 22 ticks c ...201223140893
prevalence and infection intensity of rickettsia massiliae in rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato ticks from mendoza, argentina.rickettsia massiliae belongs to the spotted fever group and in the new world is commonly associated with the brown dog tick, rhipicephalus sanguineus. herein we investigate the presence of r. massiliae in rh. sanguineus sensu lato ticks in a location near the andean foothills (mendoza, argentina), to provide a prevalence estimate and to assess the infection intensity of this pathogen. rickettsia massiliae infection was found in 5.1% of the rh. sanguineus s.l ticks analyzed, all with high infecti ...201627394145
[rickettsiosis after tick bite: a subtle clinic picture on many occasions, we must be vigilant].rickettsia diseases are a group of tick-borne transmitted diseases, classified into 2 large groups: spotted fevers and typhus fevers. in addition, a new condition has been described recently, known as tick-borne lymphadenopathy. a retrospective series is presented of paediatric cases of rickettsia diseases diagnosed in 2013 and 2014. a total of 8 patients were included, of which 2 of them were diagnosed as mediterranean spotted fever, and 6 as tick-borne lymphadenopathy. rickettsia slovaca, rick ...201726976382
possible rickettsia massiliae infection in greece: an imported case.tick-borne rickettsioses are endemic in greece; however, until recently, only rickettsia typhi and r. conorii were tested routinely in human samples arriving at the national reference center. during the last few years, the identification of different rickettsia species in ticks led to the introduction of other spotted fever group rickettsiae in routine analysis. under the new scheme, r. massiliae is now tested routinely in human samples; herein, we describe a human case of this infection.201626370425
isolation of rickettsia massiliae from rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks, buenos aires (argentina).rickettsia massiliae , a member of the spotted fever group of rickettsia, was first isolated from a rhipicephalus turanicus tick in france. in the new world, it has been detected in rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks from different geographical locations in argentina and the united states, but it has only been isolated in arizona. the aim of this study was the isolation and genetic characterization of r. massiliae from r. sanguineus ticks collected from dogs in buenos aires city, argentina. in total ...201526301512
quantitative study of rickettsia massiliae in rhipicephalus sanguineus organs.rickettsia massiliae, belonging to the spotted fever group of rickettsia, is a human pathogen causing a similar course of disease to that caused by r. conorii, the originally recognized etiologic agent of mediterranean spotted fever. in view of this similarity, we performed an ultrastructural study of r. massiliae in organs of rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks, in order to advance knowledge of the complex dynamics at the tick-pathogen interface in rickettsioses. adult r. massiliae-infected rh. sang ...201425108779
scalp eschar and neck lymphadenopathy caused by rickettsia massiliae. 201323697545
a retrospective study of the characterization of rickettsia species in ticks collected from humans.rickettsiae (family rickettsiaceae, order rickettsiales) are obligate intracellular bacteria transmitted by arthropod vectors. several rickettsia species causing vector-borne rickettsioses belong to the spotted fever group (sfg). traditionally, rickettsia conorii has been considered as the main etiologic agent of mediterranean spotted fever. however, the molecular characterization of rickettsiae allowed identifying other species involved in spotted fever in the mediterranean region. in this stud ...201728457821
multi-omics analysis sheds light on the evolution and the intracellular lifestyle strategies of spotted fever group rickettsia spp.arthropod-borne rickettsia species are obligate intracellular bacteria which are pathogenic for humans. within this genus, rickettsia slovaca and rickettsia conorii cause frequent and potentially severe infections, whereas rickettsia raoultii and rickettsia massiliae cause rare and milder infections. all four species belong to spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae. however, r. slovaca and r. raoultii cause scalp eschar and neck lymphadenopathy (senlat) and are mainly associated with dermacentor ...201728775717
Displaying items 1 - 79 of 79