title: Discovery of Rickettsia species in Dermacentor niveus Neumann ticks by investigating the diversity of bacterial communities.
abstract: Ticks (Dermacentor niveus Neumann) were collected from Tacheng, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and their bacterial diversity was investigated using the 16S RNA gene library method from one pooled sample. A total of 452 clones was successfully sequenced and assigned to 4 phyla. The dominant phylum was the Proteobacteria, accounting for 62.8% of all the clones of the 16S rRNA gene at the confidence level 80%. The other sequences were assigned to the phyla Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and accounted for 13.5%, 12.4%, and 11.3%, respectively. These results provide an insight into the bacterial diversity associated with D. niveus ticks in the natural environment of Tacheng. They indicate the occurrence of Rickettsia raoultii and Rickettsia slovaca in D. niveus ticks in this area, and as a consequence, cases of TIBOLA/DEBONEL may occur (tick-borne lymphadenopathy/Dermacentor-borne necrosis erythema and lymphadenopathy).
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, 20 Dong-Da St., Fengtai District, Beijing 100071, PR China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.affiliation: SinoGenoMax Co., 3 Yong-Chang-Bei Rd., Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, Beijing 100176, PR China.
authors.forename: Cheng-Yan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, 20 Dong-Da St., Fengtai District, Beijing 100071, PR China.
authors.forename: Yi-Gang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Center for Diseases Control and Prevention of Chinese Peoples' Armed Police Forces, Beijing 102613, PR China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, 20 Dong-Da St., Fengtai District, Beijing 100071, PR China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, 20 Dong-Da St., Fengtai District, Beijing 100071, PR China. Electronic address: lwbime@163.com.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, 20 Dong-Da St., Fengtai District, Beijing 100071, PR China. Electronic address: caowc@nic.bmi.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Wu-Chun
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003870:Dermacentor / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
keywords: 16s rRNA; China; Microbial diversity; Rickettsia; Tick