New records of Rhipicephalus linnaei infected by Rickettsia massiliae from Central Mexico

Background: On the American continent, Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. comprises two species: Rhipicephalus linnaei and R. sanguineus s.s. Each species has been identified as a potential vector of at least one of five species of pathogenic bacteria of the genus Rickettsia. In particular, Rickettsia massiliae is one of three species with the greatest importance in public health at the continental level. In Mexico, this species is reported exclusively in the Nearctic states of Baja California and Chihuahua.

Aim: For this reason, the aim of this work was to provide new records of R. massiliae for the centre of the country derived from active acarological surveillance.

Materials and methods: During the period of February-October 2019, 29 dogs from six municipalities in the state of Morelos were sampled. Hosts were visually inspected, and ticks were recovered and identified morphologically and molecularly by amplification of the 16S rDNA gene. Subsequently, five genes from members of the genus Rickettsia were amplified and sequenced.

Results: A total of 229 (117♀, 98♂ and 14 N) ticks identified as R. linnaei were recovered, two of which were positive for R. massiliae strains related to those recovered from Argentina and the United States.

Conclusions: This work provides the second record of R. massiliae infecting R. linnaei in Mexico and the Americas, increasing the geographic distribution of this Rickettsia species in the Neotropical region, and providing information on the possible role of R. linnaei as a potential vector of this microorganism.