title: Diversity of spotted fever group Rickettsia infection in hard ticks from Suifenhe, Chinese-Russian border.
abstract: In order to investigate the diversity of spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia infection in hard ticks, ticks were harvested from the forest areas in Suifenhe city, along the Chinese-Russian border and conventional PCR was carried out using universal SFG Rickettsia primers targeting gltA and ompA genes to screen for their infection with SFG Rickettsia organisms. Results showed that of the 215 ticks belonging to Ixodes persulcatus, Haemaphysalis concinna and Haemaphysalis japonica Warburton, 1908 species, 138 (64.2%) were positive for SFG Rickettsia. Three species of SFG Rickettsia were detected, Rickettsia raoultii, Rickettsia heilongjiangensis and Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae. No co-infection with different species of SFG Rickettsia was found in any individual tick among the three tick species. We detected more than one SFG Rickettsia species in ticks from each of the three tick species with an overlapping distribution and potentially similar transmission cycles of SFG Rickettsia in the areas surveyed. Consequently, different pathogenic rickettsial species may be involved in human cases of rickettsiosis after a bite of the three above-mentioned tick species in that area Rickettsia.
authors.affiliation: Heilongjiang International Travel Healthcare Center, No. 9, Ganshui Road, Nangang District, Harbin City 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China; State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Department of Vector Biology and Control, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, No. 20, Dong-dajie Street, Fengtai District, Beijing City 100071, China.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Heilongjiang International Travel Healthcare Center, No. 9, Ganshui Road, Nangang District, Harbin City 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Weiming
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Heilongjiang International Travel Healthcare Center, No. 9, Ganshui Road, Nangang District, Harbin City 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Wendong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.affiliation: Heilongjiang International Travel Healthcare Center, No. 9, Ganshui Road, Nangang District, Harbin City 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Liwei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Heilongjiang International Travel Healthcare Center, No. 9, Ganshui Road, Nangang District, Harbin City 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Heilongjiang International Travel Healthcare Center, No. 9, Ganshui Road, Nangang District, Harbin City 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Huirui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., No. 720, Cailun Road, Pudongxin District, Shanghai City 200120, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Suifenhe Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, No. 13, Changjiang Road, Suifenhe Town, Suifenhe City 157301, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Lu
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Suifenhe Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, No. 13, Changjiang Road, Suifenhe Town, Suifenhe City 157301, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Man-Xia
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Heihe Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, No. 336, Wangsu Road, Heihe City 164399, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Heihe Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, No. 336, Wangsu Road, Heihe City 164399, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.affiliation: Heilongjiang International Travel Healthcare Center, No. 9, Ganshui Road, Nangang District, Harbin City 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Cong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Department of Vector Biology and Control, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, No. 20, Dong-dajie Street, Fengtai District, Beijing City 100071, China. Electronic address: sunyi73@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D065928:Forests; D014644:Genetic Variation; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000145:classification / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae; Ixodes persulcatus; R. heilongjiangensis; Rickettsia raoultii; Suifenhe