Rickettsia conorii Indian Tick Typhus Strain and R. slovaca in Humans, Sicily

Rickettsiae are vector-borne pathogens that affect humans and animals worldwide (1). Pathogens in the Rickettsia conorii complex are known to cause Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) (R. conorii Malish strain), Astrakhan fever (R. conorii Astrakhan strain), Israeli spotted fever (R. conorii Israeli spotted fever strain), and Indian tick typhus (R. conorii Indian tick typhus strain) in the Mediterranean basin and Africa, southern Russia, the Middle East, and India and Pakistan, respectively (2). These rickettsioses share some clinical features, such as febrile illness and generalized cutaneous rash, and are transmitted to humans by Rhipicephalus spp. ticksFil: Torina, Alessandra. ntituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia; ItaliaFil: Fernández de Mera, Isabel. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; EspañaFil: Alongi, Angelina. ntituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia; ItaliaFil: Mangold, Atilio Jose. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Santa Fe. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Blanda, Valeria. ntituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia; ItaliaFil: Scarlata, Francesco. Università di Palermo; ItaliaFil: Di Marco, Vincenzo. ntituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia; ItaliaFil: de la Fuente, José. Oklahoma State University; Estados Unido