Molecular detection of spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks removed from humans in Turkey

A total of 229 attached hard ticks were collected from humans in Yozgat province (Turkey) in 2009. All ticks were individually examined for the presence of Spotted Fever Group (SFG) rickettsiae using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting rickettsial citrate synthase (gltA) and outer membrane protein (ompA) genes. Rickettsial DNA was detected in 24 (10.5%) tick samples belonging to Dermacentor marginatus (Sulzer) (9 males, 3 females), Hyalomma marginatum Koch (8 males, 2 females) and Haemaphysalis parva (Neumann) (2 males). Four SFG rickettsiae were identified: Rickettsia aeschlimannii in H. marginatum, Rickettsia raoultii and Rickettsia slovaca in D. marginatus; Rickettsia hoogstraalii in H. parva ticks. With the present study, the presence of SFG rickettsiae in ticks was reported in Yozgat province for the first time.