Diversity and Phylogeny of Cattle Ixodid Ticks and Associated Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia spp. in Tunisia.

ABSTRACT: Tick-borne rickettsioses are mainly caused by obligate intracellular bacteria belonging to the spotted fever group (SFG) of the Rickettsia genus. So far, the causative agents of SFG rickettsioses have not been detected in cattle ticks from Tunisia. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the diversity and phylogeny of ticks associated with cattle from northern Tunisia and their associated Rickettsia species. Adult ticks (n = 338) were collected from cattle in northern Tunisia. The obtained ticks were identified as Hyalomma excavatum (n = 129), Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (n = 111), Hyalomma marginatum (n = 84), Hyalomma scupense (n = 12) and Hyalomma rufipes (n = 2). After DNA ext

SUBMITTER: Kratou M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10146803 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature