title: Spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks in Turkey.
abstract: One hundred twenty-six ticks belonging to 12 tick species were collected from humans, domestic and wild animals, and from the ground as unfed (questing ticks) from distinct localities in Turkey in 2011. Ticks were individually tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Rickettsia spp., amplifying citrate synthase (gltA), and outer membrane protein (ompA) genes. Twenty-five ticks (19.8%) were found to be infected with Rickettsia species. Five SFG rickettsiae were identified, including 4 pathogens: Ri. aeschlimannii in Hyalomma marginatum, Hy. aegyptium, Hyalomma sp. (nymph), and Rhipicephalus turanicus; Ri. africae in Hy. excavatum, Hy. aegyptium, and Hyalomma sp. (nymph); Ri. slovaca and Ri. raoultii in Dermacentor marginatus; and one species with unknown pathogenicity, Ri. hoogstraalii, in Haemaphysalis parva. Rickettsia slovaca and Ri. hoogstraalii were reported for the first time from Turkey. In addition, Ri. hoogstraalii and Ri. africae were detected for the first time in Ha. parva and Hy. excavatum ticks, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara 06110, Turkey. Electronic address: omerorkun@yahoo.com.tr.
authors.forename: Ömer
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Orkun
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara 06110, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zafer
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Karaer
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara 06110, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayşe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Çakmak
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara 06110, Turkey.
authors.forename: Serpil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nalbantoğlu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009758:Nymph; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014421:Turkey
keywords: Molecular detection; Phylogenetic analysis; Spotted fever group rickettsiae; Ticks; Turkey