We found Rickettsia raoultii infection in 6/261 brucellosis-negative patients with fever of unknown origin in brucellosis-endemic Inner Mongolia, China. We further identified Hyalomma asiaticum ticks associated with R. raoultii, H. marginatum ticks associated with R. aeschlimannii, and Dermacentor nuttalli ticks associated with both rickettsiae species in the autonomous region.
Keywords: 16S rDNA; China; Dermacentor nuttalli; Hyalomma asiaticum; Hyalomma marginatum; Inner Mongolia; Rickettsia; Rickettsia aeschlimannii; Rickettsia raoultii; bacteria; gltA; human infection; spotted fever group rickettsiae; ticks; vector-borne infections.