OVERVIEW OF TICK-ASSOCIATED RICKETTSIALES BACTERIA IN JAPAN

Abstract

Rickettsiales bacteria are obligatory intracellular parasites in vertebrates and/or invertebrates, and some cause severe febrile illness in humans as well as livestock. In Japan, "Rickettsia japonica" and "Orientia tsutsugamushi" are well known as causative agents for "Japanese spotted fever" transmitted by ticks and. "Tsutsugamushi disease" transmitted by mites, respectively. In recent years, many researchers have reported the presence of several tick-associated. Rickettsiales bacteria in Japan, mostly by molecular-based analyses. Some of these might be public health or veterinary significance. Such. Rickettsiales bacteria include spotted fever group rickettsiae other than R. japonica, Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma spp., and. Neoehrlichia sp. We will summarize and. introduce the representatives of these Rickettsiales bacteria present in Japan.

Keywords

• rickettsiales
• rickettsia
• ehrlichia
• anaplasma
• neoehrlichia