title: Tick-borne Rickettsiales: Molecular tools for the study of an emergent group of pathogens.
abstract: The use of molecular techniques in recent years has enhanced the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis of Rickettsiales, a bacterial order which includes significant emerging and re-emerging pathogens of humans and animals. Molecular detection enables the accurate identification at the species level, providing additional information on the epidemiology and course of the clinical cases. Moreover, PCR and enzyme restriction analysis of the vector blood meal can be employed to study the tick feeding source and possibly identify pathogen's reservoir. Here, we review the molecular tools available for the identification and characterization of tick-borne bacteria from the genera Rickettsia, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma and for the study of ticks feeding behavior. We summarize the significant criteria for taxonomic identification of Rickettsiales species and propose a procedure algorithm for the classification of bacterial isolates as members of this order.
authors.affiliation: Inst. de Biotecnología, INTA Castelar. Los Reseros y N. Repetto, 1686 Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: guillemi.eliana@inta.gob.ar.
authors.forename: Eliana C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Guillemi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Torino, Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tomassone
authors.affiliation: Inst. de Biotecnología, INTA Castelar. Los Reseros y N. Repetto, 1686 Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Marisa D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Farber
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000379:methods*; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Anaplasma; Blood-meal analysis; Ehrlichia; Rickettsia