Establishment of Amblyomma maculatum Ticks and Rickettsia parkeri the Northeastern United States

Abstract

We document a case of Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis in a patient in Connecticut, USA, who became ill after a bite from a Gulf Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum). We used PCR to amplify R. parkeri DNA from the detached tick. The patient showed a 4-fold rise in IgG reactive with R. parkeri antigens.

Keywords

• vector-borne infections
• rickettsia
• Amblyomma maculatum
• Rickettsia parkeri
• tickborne infections
• bacteria