Molecular Identification of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae in Ticks in the Republic of Korea

The Rickettsia species transmitted by ticks are mostly classified within the spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR), which causes tick-borne rickettsiosis. Although efforts have been made to investigate their prevalence in the Republic of Korea (ROK), research has been limited to certain areas. Furt...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pathogens (Basel) 2024-07, Vol.13 (7), p.575
Main Authors: Seo, Ji-Ye, Park, Jin-Seo, Lee, Hee-Il, Ju, Jung-Won
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Arthropods
Automation
Fever
Genes
Infections
Molecular chains
Pathogens
Phylogenetics
Phylogeny
Polymerase chain reaction
Republic of Korea
Rickettsiosis
spotted fever group rickettsiae
tick
tick-borne rickettsiosis
Ticks
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Summary:The Rickettsia species transmitted by ticks are mostly classified within the spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR), which causes tick-borne rickettsiosis. Although efforts have been made to investigate their prevalence in the Republic of Korea (ROK), research has been limited to certain areas. Furthermore, the pooling method for ticks does not fully reflect the exact infection rate. Therefore, we aimed to perform molecular identification of SFGR in ticks to elucidate the current prevalence of tick-borne rickettsiosis in the ROK. The SFGR of ticks was identified using polymerase chain reaction targeting the antigen, , and , followed by sequencing for species identification and phylogenetic analysis. In total, 302 ticks belonging to four species ( , , , and ) were collected between April and November 2022. The overall SFGR infection rate was 26.8% (81/302 patients). Both adult and nymphal ticks and the SFGR infection rate increased during April-May, reaching their peaks in June, followed by a marked decline in August and July, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed three species ( and R. jingxinensis) of SFGR. Thus, our results emphasize the importance of tick surveys for the prevention and management of tick-borne rickettsiosis.
ISSN:2076-0817
2076-0817
DOI:10.3390/pathogens13070575