Survey of species in hematophagous arthropods from endemic areas for Japanese spotted fever in China.

Japanese spotted fever (JSF) is caused by , mainly vectored by hard ticks. However, whether can be transmitted by other arthropods remains unknown. Moreover, it is of interest to investigate whether other species cause spotted fever in endemic areas. In this study, a survey of species was performed in hematophagous arthropods (mosquitoes, tabanids, and ticks) from endemic areas for JSF in Hubei Province, central China. The results showed that the diversity and prevalence of species in mosquitoes are low, suggesting that mosquitoes may not be the vector of zoonotic species. A novel species showed a high prevalence (16.31%, 23/141) in tabanids and was named " Rickettsia tabanidii." It is closely related to from fleas and mosquitoes; however, its pathogenicity in humans needs further investigation. Five species were identified in ticks. , the agent of JSF, was detected only in and , suggesting that they may be the major vectors of . Notably, two novel species were identified in ticks, one belonging to the spotted fever group and the other potentially belonging to the ancestral group. The latter one named " Rickettsia hubeiensis" may provide valuable insight into the evolutionary history of .