Rickettsia parkeri and Rickettsia montanensis, Kentucky and Tennessee, USA

Abstract

We found that 14.3% (15/105) of Amblyomma maculatum and 3.3% (10/299) of Dermacentor variabilis ticks collected at 3 high-use military training sites in west-central Kentucky and northern Tennessee, USA, were infected with Rickettsia parkeri and Rickettsia montanensis, respectively. These findings warrant regional increased public health awareness for rickettsial pathogens and disease.

Keywords

• Amblyomma maculatum
• Dermacentor variabilis
• ticks
• Rickettsia parkeri
• Rickettsia montanensis
• rickettsia