Bacteria of the genera Ehrlichia and Rickettsia in ticks of the family Ixodidae with medical importance in Argentina

PATRICK S. SEBASTIAN; EVELINA L. TARRAGONA; MARÍA N. SARACHO BOTTERO; UTE MACKENSTEDT; ATILIO J. MANGOLD; SANTIAGO NAVA

EXPERIMENTAL AND APPLIED ACAROLOGY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2016 p. 1 - 10

0168-8162

The aim of this study was to get an overview about the occurrence of bacteriafrom the genus Ehrlichia and Rickettsia in ixodid ticks with medical importance inArgentina. Therefore, in 2013 and 2014, free-living ticks were collected in differentprovinces of northern Argentina. These ticks were determined as Amblyomma sculptum,Amblyomma neumanni, Amblyomma parvum, Amblyomma triste, Amblyomma ovale,Amblyomma tonelliae and Haemaphysalis juxtakochi. All samples were tested to determinethe infection with Ehrlichia spp. and Rickettsia spp. by PCR assays. Rickettsial DNA wasdetected in all tested tick species, with the exception of A. tonelliae. ?Candidatus Rickettsiaamblyommii?, ?Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae?, and Rickettsia parkeri were found inA. neumanni, A. parvum, and A. triste, respectively. Another rickettsial species, Rickettsiabellii, was found in A. sculptum, A. ovale and H. juxtakochi. None of the tested ticksshowed infection with Ehrlichia. The results of the study demonstrate that Rickettsiaspecies belonging to the spotted fever group are associated with various species of Amblyommathroughout a wide area of northern Argentina, where cases of Amblyomma ticksbiting humans are common.