Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 17, 2026

An Electroporation Method to Transform Rickettsia spp. with a Fluorescent Protein-Expressing Shuttle Vector in Tick Cell Lines
07:18

An Electroporation Method to Transform Rickettsia spp. with a Fluorescent Protein-Expressing Shuttle Vector in Tick Cell Lines

Published on: October 11, 2022

Spotted fever rickettsioses in southern and eastern Europe

Philippe Brouqui1, Philippe Parola, Pierre Edouard Fournier

  • 1Unité des Rickettsies, Faculté de Médecine, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France. philippe.brouqui@medecine.univ-mrs.fr

FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology
|February 3, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Emerging tick-borne and flea-borne rickettsial diseases are increasingly recognized in Europe. This overview highlights newly identified Rickettsia species and their public health significance.

Area of Science:

  • * Infectious Diseases
  • * Medical Entomology
  • * Microbiology

Background:

  • * Mediterranean spotted fever, caused by Rickettsia conorii conorii, was historically considered the sole tick-borne rickettsial disease in southern and eastern Europe.
  • * Recent discoveries have identified six additional spotted fever group Rickettsia species/subspecies as emerging pathogens in the region.
  • * Other emerging rickettsial threats include Rickettsia felis (flea-borne) and Rickettsia akari (mite-borne).

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To provide an overview of emerging rickettsioses in southern and eastern Europe.
  • * To focus on the significance of newly described Rickettsia species and their vectors.
  • * To raise awareness about potential future emerging pathogens detected in ticks.

Main Methods:

  • * Review of existing literature and epidemiological data.
  • * Identification and characterization of Rickettsia species from ticks, fleas, and mites.
  • * Analysis of clinical and public health implications of emerging rickettsial agents.

Main Results:

  • * Six new tick-borne Rickettsia species/subspecies have emerged in Europe, including Rickettsia conorii israelensis, R. c. caspia, R. aeschlimannii, R. slovaca, R. sibirica mongolitimonae, and R. massiliae.
  • * Rickettsia felis, a flea-associated emerging pathogen, poses a risk to human health.
  • * Rickettsia akari, the cause of rickettsialpox, is also prevalent in Europe.

Conclusions:

  • * The spectrum of tick-borne rickettsial diseases in Europe is broader than previously understood.
  • * Emerging Rickettsia species represent a growing public health concern.
  • * Continued surveillance and research are crucial for identifying and managing novel rickettsial pathogens.

More Related Videos

A Model for Experimental Exposure of Humans to Larval Ixodes scapularis Ticks04:47

A Model for Experimental Exposure of Humans to Larval Ixodes scapularis Ticks

Published on: December 1, 2023

Extraction of Saliva, Haemolymph, Salivary Glands, and Midgut from Individual Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae)03:22

Extraction of Saliva, Haemolymph, Salivary Glands, and Midgut from Individual Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae)

Published on: October 31, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever01:26

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is a severe tick-borne illness caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, a Gram-negative, coccobacillary bacterium. This pathogen is an obligate intracellular parasite, requiring a host cell for replication. Transmission occurs through the bite of an infected tick. In the United States, the most important vectors are Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick) and Dermacentor andersoni (Rocky Mountain wood tick), though other tick species may also serve as vectors.
Bacterial Phylum Spirochaetes01:30

Bacterial Phylum Spirochaetes

Spirochetes, unique bacteria in the phylum Spirochaetes, are gram-negative, motile, tightly coiled, slender, and flexible. They inhabit aquatic sediments and animals, with some causing diseases like syphilis. Spirochetes are classified into eight genera based on habitat, pathogenicity, phylogeny, and characteristics.Their distinctive motility arises from endoflagella, located within the cell’s periplasm. These endoflagella anchor at the cell poles and extend along the cell length, encased by a...
Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria01:10

Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria

Intracellular bacteria and viruses often comprise a group of highly infectious pathogens that can cause several diseases. Bacterial pathogens include those belonging to the genus Rickettsia responsible for conditions such as rocky mountain spotted fever and the Mediterranean spotted fever; Chlamydia, a genus responsible for a sexually transmitted disease; Coxiella burnetii, an agent responsible for Q fever. Viral pathogens include vaccinia—a poxvirus, and herpes simplex virus—a virus that...
Endocarditis II: Clinical Features of Infective Endocarditis01:25

Endocarditis II: Clinical Features of Infective Endocarditis

Endocarditis can present various clinical features depending on the causative organism and the patient's underlying health conditions. Initially, the clinical features of infective endocarditis develop gradually, presenting with nonspecific symptoms that can be easily mistaken for other illnesses.General SymptomsEarly symptoms of infective endocarditis are fever, chills, weakness, malaise, fatigue, and weight loss. These symptoms reflect the systemic nature of the infection and the body's...
Rabies01:28

Rabies

Rabies is a lethal zoonotic disease caused by a single-stranded, negative-sense RNA virus of the Lyssavirus genus, within the family Rhabdoviridae. Its primary mode of transmission to humans is through bites or saliva-contaminated scratches from infected mammals such as dogs, bats, raccoons, or foxes. Transmission can also occur if infectious saliva contacts abraded skin or intact mucous membranes, including the conjunctiva.Viral Entry and Early ReplicationOnce introduced at the bite or scratch...
American Trypanosomiasis01:22

American Trypanosomiasis

Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...