title: A focus of dogs and Rickettsia massiliae-infected Rhipicephalus sanguineus in California.
abstract: A recurrent focus of Rhipicephalus sanguineus infestation was investigated in a suburban area of southern California after reports of suspected Rocky Mountain spotted fever in two dogs on the same property. Abundant quantities of Rh. sanguineus were collected on the property and repeatedly from each dog, and Rickettsia massiliae DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Whole blood and serum samples from four dogs were tested by using PCR and microimmunofluorescent assay for antibodies against spotted fever group rickettsiae. Serum samples from all four dogs contained antibodies reactive with R. massiliae, R. rhipicephali, R. rickettsii, and 364D Rickettsia but no rickettsial DNA was detected by PCR of blood samples. Serum cross-absorption and Western blot assays implicated R. massiliae as the most likely spotted fever group rickettsiae responsible for seropositivity. To our knowledge, this is the first detection of R. massiliae in ticks in California.
authors.affiliation: Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. ebeeler@ph.lacounty.gov
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Beeler
authors.forename: Kyle F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Abramowicz
authors.forename: Maria L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Zambrano
authors.forename: Michele M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Sturgeon
authors.forename: Nada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khalaf
authors.forename: Renjie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Dasch
authors.forename: Marina E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Eremeeva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000662:veterinary; D002140:California; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs / Q000469:parasitology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel / Q000662:veterinary; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique / Q000662:veterinary; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D048508:Rhipicephalus sanguineus / Q000382:microbiology*; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012703:Serotyping / Q000662:veterinary