title: Detection and identification of a novel spotted fever group rickettsia in Western Australia.
abstract: The extent to which rickettsiae are present in Western Australia (WA) is largely unknown. Recently there has been anecdotal evidence of a disease of unknown but possibly rickettsial origin occurring on Barrow Island, WA. Ticks were collected from people and screened using PCR. The rickettsial species was then cultured and its novelty and phylogenetic position examined. The infecting rickettsial species is divergent enough to be classified as a novel species. Sequence data suggest that the evolutionary route for Australian rickettsiae did not progress through a recent common ancestor. The pathogenic potential of the novel species is as yet unknown.
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia. 19507648@student.murdoch.edu.au
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Unsworth
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stenos
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Stan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fenwick
mesh_terms: D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology