| Summary: | The aim is to describe the Typhus group (TG) <i>Rickettsia</i> infection in dogs and to identify factors associated with this infection. We collected blood samples and gathered exposure and clinical data of 142 dogs from a rural community of Yucatan. The <i>Rickettsia</i> group was determined by semi-nested PCR. Generalized linear models with binomial error distribution were used to model the associated factors from the dog sample for risk ratio (RR) estimation. Thirty-four dogs (23.9%) showed molecular evidence of TG <i>Rickettsia</i> DNA. The multivariate model showed that mixed-breed dogs (RR = 0.06) and dogs that had received antiparasitic treatment (RR = 0.049) had a lower risk of getting infected, taking as reference the purebred group and the non-treated dogs, respectively. Looking at variable interactions, adult dogs without outdoor activities had a lower infection risk than puppies (RR = 0.26). Among dogs with antiparasitic treatment, females had a higher infection risk than male dogs (RR = 26.2). The results showed enzootic TG <i>Rickettsia</i> circulation in dogs of a rural community. The factors outdoor activities, age and previous antiparasitic treatment, as well as the clinical variables signs of hemorrhages and epistaxis, were associated with a less chance of natural infection in the studied dogs. Prevention and control of the enzootic transmission risk of TG <i>Rickettsia</i> should help to reduce the potential zoonotic transmission of this pathogen.
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