Detection of Ehrlichia sp. strain San Luis and Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae in Amblyomma parvum ticks

PERCARA, ALEJANDRO; FERNANDEZ, CAMILO; MONJE, LUCAS D.

Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2019 vol. 10 p. 11 - 114

1877-959X

Owing to the sanitary importance of the tick Amblyomma parvum, this study evaluated the infection by Ehrlichia, Anaplasma and Rickettsia species of questing A. parvum collected in northwestern Argentina. Our results showed that A. parvum ticks in this region are infected with the recently reported Ehrlichia sp. strain San Luis, closely related to Ehrlichia chaffeensis. A high prevalence of Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae was observed. Most of the infected ticks presented rickettsial loads lower than those previously reported for other spotted fever group rickettsiae. The presence of Ehrlichia sp. strain San Luis in A. parvum is a potential risk for public health as the principal hosts of this tick are domestic mammals in rural areas and humans are frequently bitten by this tick species.