Detection of Rickettsia aeschlimannii and Rickettsia sibirica mongolitimonae in Hyalomma marginatum (acari: ixodidae) ticks from Turkey

Abstract

A total of 784 (626♀, 158♂) Hyalomma marginatum Koch, 1844 ticks collected from humans in Turkey were tested for the presence of spotted fever group rickettsiae using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the citrate synthase (gltA= 381 bp) and the outer membrane protein A (ompA= 532 bp) genes, followed by sequencing analysis. Of the ticks tested, 39 were infected by Rickettsia aeschlimannii while 2 were infected by Rickettsia sibirica mongolitimonae. To our knowledge, this is the first report of R. sibirica mongolitimonae in H. marginatum ticks.