title: Isolation and characterization of a novel Rickettsia species (Rickettsia asembonensis sp. nov.) obtained from cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis).
abstract: A novel rickettsial agent, 'Candidatus Rickettsia asembonensis' strain NMRCiiT, was isolated from cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis, from Kenya. Genotypic characterization of the new isolate based on sequence analysis of five rickettsial genes, rrs, gltA, ompA, ompB and sca4, indicated that this isolate clustered with Rickettsia felis URRWXCal2. The degree of nucleotide similarity demonstrated that isolate NMRCiiT belongs within the genus Rickettsia and fulfils the criteria for classification as a representative of a novel species. The name Rickettsia asembonensis sp. nov. is proposed, with NMRCiiT (=DSM 100172T=CDC CRIRC RAS001T=ATCC VR-1827T) as the type strain.
authors: Naval Medical Research Center, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
authors: Alice N
authors: AN
authors: Maina
authors: Naval Medical Research Center, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.|Shippensburg University, 1871 Old Main Drive, Shippensburg, PA 17257, USA.
authors: Alison
authors: A
authors: Luce-Fedrow
authors: Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya.
authors: Sylvia
authors: S
authors: Omulo
authors: Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Hang
authors: Naval Medical Research Center, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
authors: Teik-Chye
authors: TC
authors: Chan
authors: Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya.
authors: Fredrick
authors: F
authors: Ade
authors: Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
authors: Dereje D
authors: DD
authors: Jima
authors: Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya.
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Ogola
authors: Naval Medical Research Center, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: Ge
authors: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors: Robert F
authors: RF
authors: Breiman
authors: Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya.
authors: Moses K
authors: MK
authors: Njenga
authors: Naval Medical Research Center, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
authors: Allen L
authors: AL
authors: Richards
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002415:Cats; D058251:Ctenocephalides / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D007630:Kenya; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S