Rickettsiaspp. in Seabird Ticks from Western Indian Ocean Islands, 2011–2012

• DOI: 10.3201/eid2005.131088
• Publication Date: 2014-03-26T17:01:38Z
• Authors: Muriel Dietrich; Camille Lebarbenchon; Audrey Jaeger; Céline Le Rouzic; Matthieu Bastien; Erwan Lagadec; Karen D. McCoy; Hervé Pascalis; Matthieu Le Corre; Koussay Dellagi; Pablo Tortosa
• Keywords: Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; [SDV.BID.SPT]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity/Systematics, Phylogenetics and taxonomy; Birds; 03 medical and health sciences; Ticks; 0302 clinical medicine; Indian Ocean Islands; Rickettsia africae; host specificity; Animals; Rickettsia spp.; Rickettsia; western Indian Ocean; seabird ticks; Phylogeny; Disease Reservoirs; Tropical Climate; Geography; R; Dispatch; Rickettsia Infections; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Amblyomma loculosum ticks; [SDV.MP.BAC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Bacteriology; 3. Good health; Genes, Bacterial; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Medicine; [SDV.SPEE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Santé publique et épidémiologie

Abstract We found a diversity of Rickettsia spp. in seabird ticks from 6 tropical islands. The bacteria showed strong host specificity and sequence similarity with strains other regions. Seabird may be key reservoirs for pathogenic spp., bird hosts have role dispersing tick-associated infectious agents over large distances.