Detection and identification of spotted fever group Rickettsiae and Ehrlichiae in African ticks

Abstract

Rickettsia africae, a recently identified pathogen, was detected for the first time in Amblyomma ticks from Niger, Mali, Burundi, and Sudan, and "R. mongolotimonae" was identified for the first time in Africa. Rickettsiae of unknown pathogenicity and two new ehrlichiae of the Ehrlichia canis group were identified in ticks from Mali and Niger.