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- Title
Detection of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae in Birds and Ticks in Tennessee.
- Authors
Hamilton, J. A.; Scott, E. R.; Hamilton, S. W.; Hayslette, S. E.; Wright, S. M.
- Abstract
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a tick-borne disease caused by the bacterial pathogen Rickettsia rickettsii (Brumpt). Other spotted fever group rickettsiae also have been linked to febrile rash illnesses. The American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis (Say), is the primary vector responsible for transmission of R. rickettsii in Tennessee. This study evaluated D. variabilis collected from middle Tennessee for evidence of Rickettsia spp. DNA. Additionally, blood from migratory waterfowl and wild turkeys was tested for Rickettsia spp. because studies in Europe have suggested that birds contribute to the spread of Rickettsia spp. DNA was extracted from 73 pooled ticks (2 adult ticks/pool) and 315 bird blood samples. Ticks evaluated in this study were not associated with the birds. Following primary and nested amplification, positive samples were cloned and sequenced. Three samples from migratory birds (0.9% of all bird samples) were amplified using primers specific for the rickettsial ompA gene, although no distinct Rickettsia species could be identified. Ten tick pools (Minimum Infection Rate of 6.8%) were positive for Rickettsia montanensis (Bell, Kohls, Stoenner and Lackman), a spotted fever group rickettsial organism. These results demonstrate that Rickettsia spp. are present in D. variabilis in middle Tennessee and suggest that birds may have a role in the dissemination of some rickettsial species. Spotted fever group rickettsiae, including R. montanensis, may represent emerging pathogens that could contribute to the epidemiology of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
- Subjects
ROCKY Mountain spotted fever tick; BIRD diseases; RICKETTSIAS; BACTERIA; AMERICAN dog tick
- Publication
Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science, 2016, Vol 91, Issue 1/2, p52
- ISSN
0040-313X
- Publication type
Article