1. Borrelia, Rickettsia, and Ehrlichia Species in Bat Ticks, France, 2010.
- Author
-
Socolovschi, Cristina, Kernif, Tahar, Raoult, Didier, and Parola, Philippe
- Subjects
- *
TICK-borne diseases , *RELAPSING fever , *RICKETTSIAL diseases , *EHRLICHIA , *EHRLICHIOSIS - Abstract
Argas vespertilionis, an argasid tick associated with bats and bat habitats in Europe, Africa, and Asia has been reported to bite humans; however, studies investigating the presence of vector-borne pathogens in these ticks are lacking. Using molecular tools, we tested 5 A. vespertilionis ticks collected in 2010 from the floor of a bat-infested attic in southwestern France that had been converted into bedrooms. Rickettsia sp. AvBat, a new genotype of spotted fever group rickettsiae, was detected and cultivated from 3 of the 5 ticks. A new species of the Ehrlichia canis group, Ehrlichia sp. AvBat, was also detected in 3 ticks. Four ticks were infected with Borrelia sp. CPB1, a relapsing fever agent of the Borrelia group that caused fatal borreliosis in a bat in the United Kingdom. Further studies are needed to characterize these new agents and determine if the A. vespertilionis tick is a vector and/or reservoir of these agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF