Rickettsia Species in Ticks Removed from Humans in Istanbul, Turkey
A total of 167 ticks collected from humans in Istanbul (Turkey) in 2006 were screened for Rickettsia species, and nested PCRs targeting gltA and ompA rickettsial fragment genes were carried out. Rickettsia monacensis (51), R. aeschlimannii (8), R. conorii subsp. conorii (3), R. helvetica (2), R. raoultii (1), R. africae (1), R. felis (1), and other Rickettsia spp. (2), were detected. To our knowledge, these Rickettsia species (except R. conorii) had never been reported in ticks removed from humans in Turkey. The presence of R. africae also had not been previously described, either in Hyalomma ticks or in any European tick species. In addition, R. aeschlimannii and R. felis had not been found associated with Rhipicephalus bursa specimens. The presence of human pathogenic Rickettsia in ticks removed from humans provides information about the risk of tick-borne rickettsioses in Turkey. ; TUBITAK-SBAGTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [108S171]; Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIInstituto de Salud Carlos IIIEuropean Commission [EMER 07/033]; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (Spain)Spanish Government; Fundacion Rioja Salud [FRS/PIF-01/10] ; Tick collection and identification studies were supported by TUBITAK-SBAG (108S171). Detection of Rickettsia species was supported by a grant from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III'' (EMER 07/033), and Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (Spain). Fundacion Rioja Salud awarded a grant to A.M. Palomar for her doctoral thesis (FRS/PIF-01/10).