First isolation and identification of Rickettsia conorii from ticks collected in the region of Fokida in central Greece

Three different spotted-fever group rickettsiae—Rickettsia conorii, R. massiliae, and R. rhipicephali—were detected and identified by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis in Rhipicephalus ticks collected from domestic animals in the Fokida region of Greece, where a high seroprevalence of antibodies to R. conorii was previously demonstrated. The infection rate of ticks was 1.6%. Moreover, R. conorii was isolated from one Rhipicephalus sanguineus tick.