We collected 1,671 Dermacentor reticulatus ticks from 17 locations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. We found 47.9% overall prevalence of Rickettsia species in ticks over all locations. Sequence analysis confirmed that all tested samples belonged to R. raoultii, the causative agent of tick-borne lymphadenopathy.
Keywords: Czech Republic; DEBONEL; Dermacentor reticulatus ticks; Dermacentor spp.-borne necrosis erythema lymphadenopathy; Hungary; Rickettsia; Rickettsia raoultii; Slovakia; TIBOLA; tick-borne infections; tick-borne lymphadenopathy.