Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae in Ticks Collected from Wild Animals in Israel

Avi Keysary Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem

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Marina E. Eremeeva Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem

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Moshe Leitner Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem

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Adi Beth Din Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem

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Mary E. Wikswo Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem

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Kosta Y. Mumcuoglu Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem

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Moshe Inbar Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem

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Arian D. Wallach Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem

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Uri Shanas Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem

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Roni King Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem

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Trevor Waner Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem

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We report molecular evidence for the presence of spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR) in ticks collected from roe deer, addax, red foxes, and wild boars in Israel. Rickettsia aeschlimannii was detected in Hyalomma marginatum and Hyalomma detritum while Rickettsia massiliae was present in Rhipicephalus turanicus ticks. Furthermore, a novel uncultured SFGR was detected in Haemaphysalis adleri and Haemaphysalis parva ticks from golden jackals. The pathogenicity of the novel SFGR for humans is unknown; however, the presence of multiple SFGR agents should be considered when serological surveillance data from Israel are interpreted because of significant antigenic cross-reactivity among Rickettsia. The epidemiology and ecology of SFGR in Israel appear to be more complicated than was previously believed.

Author Notes

*Address correspondence to Avi Keysary, Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, P.O. Box 19, 74100, Ness Ziona, Israel. E-mail: rickiticki6@gmail.com

Authors' addresses: Avi Keysary, Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel, E-mail: rickiticki6@gmail.com. Marina E. Eremeeva, Rickettsial Zoonones Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, E-mail: m.eremeeva01@gmail.com. Moshe Leitner and Adi Beth Din, Department of Biochemistry, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel, E-mails: moshel@iibr.gov.il and adib@iibr.gov.il. Mary E. Wikswo, Division of Viral Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, E-mail: ezq1@cdc.gov. Kosta Y. Mumcuoglu, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel, E-mail: kostam@cc.huji.ac.il. Moshe Inbar, Arian D. Wallach, and Uri Shanas, Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel, E-mails: minbar@research.haifa.ac.il, arian.wallach@bigpond.com, and shanas@research.haifa.ac.il. Roni King, Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem, E-mail: king@npa.org.il. Trevor Waner, Animal Facilities, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel, E-mail: wanertnt@gmail.com

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