Screening for Rickettsia, Coxiella and Borrelia Species in Ticks from Queensland, Australia

Hazizul Hussain-Yusuf; John Stenos; Gemma Vincent; Amy Shima; Sandra Abell; Noel D Preece; Mythili Tadepalli; Sze Fui Hii; Naomi Bowie; Kate Mitram; Stephen Graves

Journal article

Screening for Rickettsia, Coxiella and Borrelia Species in Ticks from Queensland, Australia

Hazizul Hussain-Yusuf, John Stenos, Gemma Vincent, Amy Shima, Sandra Abell, Noel D Preece, Mythili Tadepalli, Sze Fui Hii, Naomi Bowie, Kate Mitram, Stephen Graves

Pathogens | MDPI | Published : 2020

DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9121016

Abstract

Tick bites in Australia are linked to the transmission of a variety of infectious diseases in humans, livestock and wildlife. Despite this recognition, little is currently known about the variety of potential pathogens that are carried and transmitted by Australian ticks. In this study, we attempted to expand knowledge of Australian tick-borne bacterial pathogens by analyzing various tick species from the state of Queensland for potential human pathogens belonging to the Rickettsia, Coxiella and Borrelia genera. A total of 203 ticks, comprising of four genera and nine different tick species, were screened by specific qPCR assays. An overall Rickettsia qPCR positivity of 6.4% (13/203) was det..

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