title: Molecular detection and groEL typing of Rickettsia aeschlimannii in Sardinian ticks.
abstract: Rickettsia aeschlimannii is an emerging tick-borne pathogen of the spotted fever group Rickettsiae with considerable impact on both human and animal health. This study reports the molecular detection and groEL characterization of R. aeschlimannii in ticks collected from birds and ruminants in a typical Mediterranean environment. Phylogeny of R. aeschlimannii and species representative of the spotted fever and typhus groups based on the groEL gene is reconstructed for the first time. Results expand the knowledge on distribution and typing of emerging human tick-borne diseases in Sardinia and pave the way for future molecular epidemiology studies of zoonotic Rickettsiae.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy. valentinachisu@virgilio.it.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chisu
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli studi di Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zobba
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Cipriano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Foxi
authors.affiliation: Osservatorio Faunistico Parco Nazionale Asinara, Asinara, Italy.
authors.forename: Danilo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pisu
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Masala
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli studi di Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alberti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D010802:Phylogeny; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018834:Chaperonin 60
keywords: Rickettsia aeschlimannii; Sardinian ticks; groEL sequences