Molecular Screening for Rickettsia, Francisella and Borrelia in Ticks Collected from the Middle Black Sea Coastline, Turkey

The present study aims to examine the prevalence of bacteria pathogenic for animals in their tick vectors along the Black Sea coast of Turkey. A total of 313 ticks were collected on several host animals from Samsun and Ordu Provinces in the Middle Black Sea coastline of Turkey in 2006-2013. All ticks were molecularly screened for infectious agents. According to PCR results, Rickettsia aeschlimannii (1.59%), Rickettsia raoultii (0.9%) and Rickettsia slovaca (0.9%) were detected while Borrelia and Francisella were not detected in these ticks. Three tick samples were also positive for rickettsial DNA; however, the infectious agent could not be identified at the species level. The results of the current study highlight that Rickettsia of the spotted fever group occurs more frequently than thought and should be taken into account for patients from the Black Sea region with tick-bites.

Automated summary

The study revealed a variety of pathogenic bacteria carried by tick vectors in the Black Sea coast of Turkey, with a higher occurrence of spotted fever group Rickettsia than expected. It is recommended to be vigilant for patients with tick bites in the Black Sea region.