<i>Rickettsiales</i> in Italy

There is no updated information on the spread of <i>Rickettsiales</i> in Italy. The purpose of our study is to take stock of the situation on <i>Rickettsiales</i> in Italy by focusing attention on the species identified by molecular methods in humans, in bloodsucking arthropo...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Cristoforo Guccione, Claudia Colomba, Manlio Tolomeo, Marcello Trizzino, Chiara Iaria, Antonio Cascio
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-02-01
Series:Pathogens
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/2/181
Description
Summary:There is no updated information on the spread of <i>Rickettsiales</i> in Italy. The purpose of our study is to take stock of the situation on <i>Rickettsiales</i> in Italy by focusing attention on the species identified by molecular methods in humans, in bloodsucking arthropods that could potentially attack humans, and in animals, possible hosts of these <i>Rickettsiales</i>. A computerized search without language restriction was conducted using PubMed updated as of December 31, 2020. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology was followed. Overall, 36 species of microorganisms belonging to <i>Rickettsiales</i> were found. The only species identified in human tissues were <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum,</i><i>Rickettsia conorii, R. conorii subsp. israelensis, R. monacensis, R. massiliae,</i> and <i>R. slovaca.</i> Microorganisms transmissible by bloodsucking arthropods could cause humans pathologies not yet well characterized. It should become routine to study the pathogens present in ticks that have bitten a man and at the same time that molecular studies for the search for <i>Rickettsiales</i> can be performed routinely in people who have suffered bites from bloodsucking arthropods.
ISSN:2076-0817