First detection of Rickettsia aeschlimannii in Hyalomma dromedarii ticks from Tunisia

Abstract

Tick-borne rickettsioses have long been described in North Africa. These human diseases and their causative agents occur in several countries in this region, including Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt. In Tunisia, the first described and most well-known rickettsiosis is Mediterranean spotted fever, which is caused by Rickettsia conorii conorii. Cases of R. aeschlimannii infections have been documented by serology, but the agent has never actually been detected in patients or arthropods in the country. In October 2008, ticks were collected from a dromedary (Camelius dromedarii) in Douz, Central Tunisia. All of the ticks were identified as Hyalomma dromedarii and were tested using polymerase chain reaction to determine the presence of rickettsiae. Our results indicate the first molecular detection of R. aeschlimannii in ticks from Tunisia.