title: Isolation of the rickettsial agent genetically similar to Candidatus Rickettsia kotlanii, from Haemaphysalis megaspinosa in Japan.
abstract: Two rickettsial isolates, HM-1 and HM-2, were isolated from Haemaphysalis megaspinosa collected in Japan in 2006 and 2011, respectively. The isolates were analyzed by DNA sequences of the outer membrane protein A gene, the outer membrane protein B gene, the citrate synthase gene, the genus Rickettsia-specific outer membrane protein 17-kDa gene, the 16S ribosome RNA gene, and the PS120 protein gene ("geneD"). HM-1 was identified as Rickettsia tamurae. HM-2 matched most closely with 'Candidatus Rickettsia kotlanii' DNA, which has only been reported from H. concinna in Hungary. This is the first report of isolation in Japan of the agent genetically similar to 'Candidatus R. kotlanii,' which belongs phylogenetically to the spotted fever group Rickettsia. Our study shows the possibility that 'Candidatus R. kotlanii' can be carried by at least two tick species. Furthermore, because the Rickettsia sp. has been found two distant countries, Hungary and Japan, it has potential for wider distribution.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Virology-I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases , Tokyo, Japan .
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andoh
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ogasawara
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakata
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawabata
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ando
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
keywords: Candidatus Rickettsia kotlanii; Haemaphysalis megaspinosa; Isolation; Japan