title: Genetic identification of Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rainforest in an endemic area of a mild spotted fever in Rio Grande do Sul state, Southern Brazil.
abstract: Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rainforest causes a less severe rickettsiosis, with two cases confirmed until now. The tick species Amblyomma ovale is appointed as the main vector of this bacterium. The southern region of Brazil has reported patients with spotted fever who have milder symptoms. In 2013, during an investigation of rickettsiosis cases, an A. ovale tick was found attached to a man in an area where there were two cases. The parasite was processed for molecular analysis and the rickettsial infection was confirmed based on phylogenetic analysis of genes ompA, ompB and geneD (sca4). In the present study the human pathogenic Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rainforest was identified in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil. Since A. ovale, its main vector, is found frequently parasitizing dogs, animals that can cross international borders freely in southern Brazil, this bacteria can bring major concerns in terms of public health.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365, Pav. Lauro Travassos, anexo posterior/sala 08, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP: 21045-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vinicius
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Figueiredo Voizzoni
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365, Pav. Lauro Travassos, anexo posterior/sala 08, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP: 21045-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Arannadia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barbosa Silva
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365, Pav. Lauro Travassos, anexo posterior/sala 08, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP: 21045-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Medeiros Cardoso
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365, Pav. Lauro Travassos, anexo posterior/sala 08, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP: 21045-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barbosa Dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Centro Estadual de Vigilância em Saúde, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stenzel
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365, Pav. Lauro Travassos, anexo posterior/sala 08, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP: 21045-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marinete
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amorim
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Unidade Técnica de Vigilância de Zoonoses, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vilges de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365, Pav. Lauro Travassos, anexo posterior/sala 08, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP: 21045-900, Brazil. Electronic address: gsgazeta@ioc.fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Salles Gazeta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D065947:Rainforest; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology*
keywords: Amblyomma ovale; Rickettsia sp; Southern Brazil; Strain Atlantic rainforest