Evidence of a spotted fever-like rickettsia and a potential new vector from northeastern Australia.
A spotted fever-like rickettsia was identified in a Hemaphysalis tick by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and sequencing of the 16S rDNA, ompA, and ompB genes. A comparison of these nucleotide sequences with those of other spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae revealed that the Hemaphysalis tick rickettsia ia was distinct from other previously reported strains. Phylogenetic analysis based on both ompA and ompB also indicates that the strain's closest relatives are the agents of Thai tick typhus (Rickettsia honei strain TT-118) and Flinders Island spotted fever (R. honei). This study represents the first report of an R. honei-like agent from a Hemaphysalis tick in Australia and of a spotted fever group rickettsia from Cape York Peninsula, Queensland.
Lane
Amanda M
AM
School of Integrative Biology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
Shaw
Matthew D
MD
McGraw
Elizabeth A
EA
O'Neill
Scott L
SL
D000818:Animals; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D017931:DNA Primers; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011793:Queensland; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; C078167:OMPA outer membrane proteins