title: Rickettsia africae in Amblyomma variegatum and domestic ruminants on eight Caribbean islands.
abstract: We used PCRs with omp A primers to determine if spotted fever group rickettsiae occurred in Amblyomma variegatum from 6 Caribbean islands. Positive amplicons were obtained from ticks from the U.S. Virgin Islands (9/18; 50%), Dominica (39/171; 30%), Montserrat (2/5; 40%), Nevis (17/34; 50%), St. Kitts (46/227; 20%), and St. Lucia (1/14; 7%). Sequences for a convenience sample of reaction products obtained from A. variegatum on St. Kitts (7), American Virgin Islands (4), Montserrat (2), and St. Lucia (1) were 100% homologous with that of Rickettsia africae , the agent of African tick-bite fever. To determine if transmission of R. africae occurred, we used Rickettsia rickettsii antigen in IFA tests and found positive titers (≥ 1/80) with sera from cattle, goats, and sheep from Dominica (24/95 [25%], 2/136 [2%], 0/58 [0%]), Nevis (12/45 [27%], 5/157 [3%], 0/90 [0%]), St. Kitts (2/43 [5%], 1/25 [4%), 1/35 [3%]), and St. Lucia (6/184 [3%] cattle), respectively. No seropositive animals were found in Grenada (0/4, 0/98/, 0/86), Montserrat (0/12, 0/26, 0/52), or Puerto Rico (0/80 cattle). Our study indicates that R. africae and African tick-bite fever are widespread in the Caribbean.
authors.affiliation: Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, West Farm Road, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, West Indies. pkelly@rossvet.edu.kn
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Helene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: Lorenza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beati
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yowell
authors.forename: Suman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahan
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dame
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000662:veterinary; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006041:Goats; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D014900:West Indies / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C078167:OMPA outer membrane proteins