Rickettsia sp. DNA recovered from a febrile patient from Papua, Indonesia
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Background Rickettsia are neglected, arthropod-borne bacteria causing febrile illness of varying severity. Indonesia is endemic for several Rickettsia species, predominantly from murine and scrub typhus groups. Objective We described here a potentially novel Rickettsia species in a young adult presenting with acute, undifferentiated, febrile illness at a primary health center in Timika, Papua, Indonesia, in 2021. Methods Blood tested positive for Rickettsia spp. by a nucleic acid amplification test, 17-kDa and ompB gene fragments were successfully sequenced. Results: The recovered sequences showed highest similarity to two Rickettsia spp. of mosquito origin, with 90.0% identity for the 17-kDa and 85.6% for the ompB gene. Conclusion These findings suggest the presence of a divergent Rickettsia lineage in Papua, Indonesia. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Rickettsia DNA sequences obtained from a human case in this region.
Source: IDCases
Authors: Edison Johar, Ida Yus Sriyani, Yora Permata Dewi, Agatha Mia Puspitasari, Fahira Ainun Nisa, Ristya Amalia, Pinkan Pertiwi Kariodimedjo, Jeanne Rini Poespoprodjo, Enny Kenangalem, Frilasita Aisyah Yudhaputri, Leily Trianty, Jeremy P. Ledermann, Khin Saw Aye Myint, Eric C. Mossel, Ann M. Powers, Rintis Noviyanti
Language: English
Subfield: Parasitology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,370
OpenAlex ID: W4411635015