ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2022
Entomological risk of African tick-bite fever (Rickettsia africae infection) in Eswatini.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Molecular diversity of tick-associated Rickettsia species in multiple provinces of Zambia.The Journal of veterinary medical science · 2026Article
- The effect of climate change on the distribution of Amblyomma hebraeum and heartwater in South Africa.Tropical animal health and production · 2026Article
- Sand fly endosymbionts in Kenya: Rickettsia and Wolbachia associations with Leishmania and detection of Rickettsia africae.Parasites & vectors · 2026Article
- The ectoparasites and gastrointestinal helminths associated with Smith's bush squirrel (Parasitology · 2026Article
- Geospatial and modelling analyses reveal diverse tick and tick-associated microbes in the East African Community.Infectious diseases of poverty · 2025Review
- Defining the bacterial microbiome of ticks in Chongwe and Chisamba Districts of Zambia.Infectious medicine · 2024Article
- Infection Rates and Characterisation ofMicroorganisms · 2024Article
- Host and habitat shape ectoparasite diversity onParasitology · 2024Article
- Rickettsia africae infections in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic literature review of epidemiological studies and summary of case reports.Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH · 2024Review
- Evidence of zoonotic rickettsiae in ixodid ticks of domestic animals in some communal farms in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.Journal of advanced veterinary and animal research · 2024Article
- A systematic review of ticks and tick-borne pathogens of cattle reared by smallholder farmers in South Africa.Current research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRickettsia africae is a tick-borne bacterium that causes African tick-bite fever (ATBF) in humans. In southern Africa, the tick Amblyomma hebraeum serves as the primary vector and reservoir for R. africae and transmits the bacterium during any life stage. Previous research has shown that even when malaria has been dramatically reduced, unexplained acute febrile illnesses persist and may be explained by the serological evidence of rickettsiae in humans. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL
findingsWe collected 12,711 questing Amblyomma larvae across multiple land use types in a savanna landscape in Eswatini. Our results show that host-seeking Amblyomma larvae are abundant across both space and time, with no significant difference in density by land use or season. We investigated the entomological risk (density of infected larvae) of ATBF from A. hebraeum larvae by testing over 1,600 individual larvae for the presence of R. africae using a novel multiplex qPCR assay. We found an infection prevalence of 64.9% (95% CI: 62.1-67.6%) with no land use type significantly impacting prevalence during the dry season of 2018. The mean density of infected larvae was 57.3 individuals per 100m2 (95% CI: 49-65 individuals per 100m2).
conclusionsCollectively, our results demonstrate R. africae infected A. hebraeum larvae, the most common tick species and life stage to bite humans in southern Africa, are ubiquitous in the savanna landscape of this region. Increased awareness of rickettsial diseases is warranted for policymakers, scientists, clinicians, and patients. Early detection of disease via increased clinician awareness and rapid diagnostics will improve patient outcomes for travelers and residents of this region.
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