Abstract/Overview
Tick-borne spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsioses are emerging human diseases caused by obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacteria of the genus Rickettsia. Despite being important causes of systemic febrile illnesses in travelers returning from sub-Saharan Africa, little is known about the reservoir hosts of these pathogens. We conducted surveys for rickettsiae in domestic animals and ticks in a rural setting in western Kenya. Of the 100 serum specimens tested from each species of domestic ruminant 43% of goats, 23% of sheep, and 1% of cattle had immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to the SFG rickettsiae. None of these sera were positive for IgG against typhus group rickettsiae. We detected Rickettsia africae–genotype DNA in 92.6% of adult Amblyomma variegatum ticks collected from domestic ruminants, but found no evidence of the pathogen in blood specimens from cattle, goats, or sheep. Sequencing of a subset of 21 rickettsia-positive ticks revealed R. africae variants in 95.2% (20/21) of ticks tested. Our findings show a high prevalence of R. africae variants in A. variegatum ticks in western Kenya, which may represent a low disease risk for humans. This may provide a possible explanation for the lack of African tick-bite fever cases among febrile patients in Kenya.
N., M (2024). High prevalence of Rickettsia africae variants in Amblyomma variegatum ticks from domestic mammals in rural Western Kenya: Implications for human health. Afribary. Retrieved from https://tracking.afribary.com/works/high-prevalence-of-rickettsia-africae-variants-in-amblyomma-variegatum-ticks-from-domestic-mammals-in-rural-western-kenya-implications-for-human-health
N., Maina "High prevalence of Rickettsia africae variants in Amblyomma variegatum ticks from domestic mammals in rural Western Kenya: Implications for human health" Afribary. Afribary, 16 Jul. 2024, https://tracking.afribary.com/works/high-prevalence-of-rickettsia-africae-variants-in-amblyomma-variegatum-ticks-from-domestic-mammals-in-rural-western-kenya-implications-for-human-health. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
N., Maina . "High prevalence of Rickettsia africae variants in Amblyomma variegatum ticks from domestic mammals in rural Western Kenya: Implications for human health". Afribary, Afribary, 16 Jul. 2024. Web. 21 Nov. 2024. < https://tracking.afribary.com/works/high-prevalence-of-rickettsia-africae-variants-in-amblyomma-variegatum-ticks-from-domestic-mammals-in-rural-western-kenya-implications-for-human-health >.
N., Maina . "High prevalence of Rickettsia africae variants in Amblyomma variegatum ticks from domestic mammals in rural Western Kenya: Implications for human health" Afribary (2024). Accessed November 21, 2024. https://tracking.afribary.com/works/high-prevalence-of-rickettsia-africae-variants-in-amblyomma-variegatum-ticks-from-domestic-mammals-in-rural-western-kenya-implications-for-human-health