Detection and identification of a novel spotted fever group rickettsia in Western Australia

The extent to which rickettsiae are present in Western Australia (WA) is largely unknown. Recently there has been anecdotal evidence of a disease of unknown but possibly rickettsial origin occurring on Barrow Island, WA. Ticks were collected from people and screened using PCR. The rickettsial species was then cultured and its novelty and phylogenetic position examined. The infecting rickettsial species is divergent enough to be classified as a novel species. Sequence data suggest that the evolutionary route for Australian rickettsiae did not progress through a recent common ancestor. The pathogenic potential of the novel species is as yet unknown.