Rickettsia sp. in Ixodes granulatus Ticks, Japan

To the Editor: The genus Rickettsia consists of obligate intracellular bacteria that cause spotted fever and typhus fever; these bacteria are usually transmitted by an arthropod vector. We report isolation of a Rickettsia honei–like organism from the Ixodes granulatus tick; this organism may be a causative agent of rickettsiosis in Japan. Serotyping and DNA-sequencing analysis distinguished this I. granulatus isolate from previously reported Rickettsia spp.

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