Rickettsia spp. in Ticks of South Luangwa Valley, Eastern Province, Zambia

Ticks are important vectors for Rickettsia spp. belonging to the Spotted Fever Group responsible for causing Rickettsiosis worldwide. Rickettsioses pose an underestimated health risk to tourists and local inhabitants. There is evidence of the presence of Rickettsia spp. in Zambia, however there is limited data. A total of 1465 ticks were collected in 20 different locations from dogs and cattle including one cat. Ticks were identified by morphological features or by sequencing of the 16S mitochondrial rRNA gene. Individual ticks were further tested for rickettsiae using a pan-Rickettsia real-time-PCR. Rickettsia species in PCR-positive ticks were identified by sequencing the 23S-5S intergenic spacer region or partial ompA gene, respectively. Seven tick species belonging to three different tick genera were found, namely: Amblyomma variegatum, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, Rhipicephalus simus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Rhipicephalus zambesiensis and Haemaphysalis elliptica. Out of the 1465 ticks collected, 67 (4.6%) tested positive in the pan-Rickettsia PCR. This study provides detailed data about the presence of Rickettsia species in South Luangwa Valley, Eastern Province, Zambia for the first time. High prevalence of Rickettsia africae in Amblyomma variegatum was found, which indicates the potential risk of infection in the investigated area. Furthermore, to our best knowledge, this is the first time Rickettsia massiliae, a human pathogen causing spotted fever, has been detected in Zambia.