Molecular identification of Borrelia and SFG Rickettsia spp. in hard ticks parasitizing domestic and wild animals in southeastern Spain.

ABSTRACT: Lyme disease and the spotted fever group rickettsiosis, involve bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia and Rickettsia, respectively. These infections are the most important tick-borne zoonotic diseases involving ticks as vectors. Descriptive and epidemiological studies are essential to determine the animal hosts involved in the maintenance of these diseases. In the present study, 94 tick pool samples from 15 different host species located in the Region of Murcia (southeastern, Spain) were analysed. Ticks were morphologically identified as: Dermacentor marginatus, Hyalomma lusitanicum, Ixodes Ricinus, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Our results showed that 5.3% of the tick pool samples carried Borrelia spp. DNA, and 20.2% carried SFG Rickettsia DNA. In every hard tick pool Spot Fever Group

SUBMITTER: Ortega N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11147859 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature