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Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in Arizona: Documentation of Heavy Environmental Infestations of Rhipicephalus sanguineus at an Endemic Site
Author(s) -
NICHOLSON WILLIAM L.,
PADDOCK CHRISTOPHER D.,
DEMMA LINDA,
TRAEGER MARC,
JOHNSON BRIAN,
DICKSON JEFFREY,
McQUISTON JENNIFER,
SWERDLOW DAVID
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1196/annals.1374.065
Subject(s) - rhipicephalus sanguineus , rocky mountain spotted fever , rickettsia rickettsii , ixodidae , spotted fever , acari , vector (molecular biology) , tick , flagging , biology , ecology , geography , veterinary medicine , rickettsia , medicine , archaeology , virology , virus , gene , recombinant dna , biochemistry
A recent epidemiologic investigation identified 16 cases and 2 deaths from Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) in two eastern Arizona communities. Prevalence studies were conducted by collecting free‐living ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) from the home sites of RMSF patients and from other home sites within the community. Dry ice traps and flagging confirmed heavy infestations at many of the home sites. Only Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks were identified and all developmental stages were detected. It is evident that under certain circumstances, this species does transmit Rickettsia rickettsii to humans and deserves reconsideration as a vector in other geographic areas.