title: Spotted fever group rickettsiae identified in Dermacentor marginatus and Ixodes ricinus ticks in Algeria.
abstract: Our study was carried out using Ixodes ricinus ticks collected from cattle from Tizi-Ouzou and Dermacentor marginatus ticks collected from the vegetation of the Blida region, a tourist site, both regions situated in northern Algeria. The results of real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) specific for a partial sequence of the citrate synthase gene (gltA) indicate that Rickettsia spp. were present in 11/23 (48%) and 4/9 (44%) of the examined ticks from Tizi-Ouzou and Blida, respectively. The sequences of Rickettsia helvetica and Ri. monacensis were found in I. ricinus ticks using gltA primers. In addition, Ri. slovaca was detected based on the sequences of the gltA and the outer membrane protein (OmpA) genes in D. marginatus ticks. DNA sequencing to identify the species revealed for the first time the presence of Ri. helvetica in I. ricinus ticks and Ri. slovaca in D. marginatus ticks from Algeria and confirmed the presence of Ri. monacensis.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Ecologie et des Systèmes Vectoriels, Institut Pasteur d'Algérie, Algiers, Algeria.
authors.forename: Tahar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kernif
authors.forename: Dalila
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Messaoudene
authors.forename: Soraya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ouahioune
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parola
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
authors.forename: Idir
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bitam
mesh_terms: D000462:Algeria; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000469:parasitology; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase / Q000235:genetics; D003870:Dermacentor / Q000382:microbiology*; D004478:Ectoparasitic Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase