Detection of a spotted fever group rickettsia in Amblyomma cajennense (Acari: Ixodidae) in south Texas

Thai tick typhus rickettsia (strain TT-118), a spotted fever group rickettsia of indeterminant pathogenicity, was isolated from a mixed pool of larval Ixodes and Rhipicephalus ticks collected from Thailand in 1962. Here we report the surprising finding of a spotted fever group rickettsia with closes...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical entomology 1998-07, Vol.35 (4), p.474-478
Main Authors: Billings, A.N. (University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX.), Yu, X.J, Teel, P.D, Walker, D.H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
AMBLYOMMA CAJENNENSE
Animals
Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins - genetics
Bacterial Proteins - genetics
BACTERIOSE
BACTERIOSES
BACTERIOSIS
Base Sequence
Biological and medical sciences
Cattle
Cattle Diseases - parasitology
DNA, Bacterial
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
GENBANK/AF027124
GENBANK/AF033499
GENE
GENES
Genes, Bacterial
Glutamate Synthase - genetics
IDENTIFICACION
IDENTIFICATION
Medically important nuisances and vectors, pests of stored products and materials: population survey and control
MOLECULAR SEQUENCE DATA
NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCE
Polymerase Chain Reaction
RICKETTSIA
Rickettsia - genetics
Rickettsia - isolation & purification
SECUENCIA NUCLEOTIDICA
Sequence Analysis, DNA
SEQUENCE HOMOLOGY
SEQUENCE NUCLEOTIDIQUE
STRUCTURAL GENES
TEXAS
Tick Infestations - parasitology
Tick Infestations - veterinary
Ticks - microbiology
Vectors. Intermediate hosts
Citations: Items that cite this one
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Description
Summary:Thai tick typhus rickettsia (strain TT-118), a spotted fever group rickettsia of indeterminant pathogenicity, was isolated from a mixed pool of larval Ixodes and Rhipicephalus ticks collected from Thailand in 1962. Here we report the surprising finding of a spotted fever group rickettsia with closest sequence homology to the Thai tick typhus rickettsia in Amblyomma cajennense (F.) ticks from south Texas. Sequence analysis was performed on segments of 3 genes that differentiate rickettsia species; all 3 genes sequenced, the 17-kDa, glta, and rompA, when compared with those of other rickettsiae, showed the highest degree of similarity to the Thai tick typhus rickettsia with 99.5, 99.5, and 100% homology, respectively. This is the 1st finding of a rickettsial species in A. cajennense ticks in Texas and the United States. If this rickettsia is pathogenic, exposure to infected A. cajennense ticks may pose a previously unrecognized health risk to people who have been fed upon by these ticks
ISSN:0022-2585
1938-2928
DOI:10.1093/jmedent/35.4.474