Journal Article

Molecular Description of a Novel Orientia Species Causing Scrub Typhus in Chile

Weitzel, Thomas, Abarca, Katia, Richards, Allen L., Martínez-Valdebenito, Constanza, Farris, Christina M., Jiang, Ju, Angulo, Jenniffer, Acosta-Jamett, Gerardo

2020

Overview

Scrub typhus is a potentially fatal rickettsiosis caused by Orientia species intracellular bacteria of the genus Orientia. Although considered to be restricted to the Asia Pacific region, scrub typhus has recently been discovered in southern Chile. We analyzed Orientia gene sequences of 16S rRNA (rrs) and 47-kDa (htrA) from 18 scrub typhus patients from Chile. Sequences were ≥99.7% identical among the samples for both amplified genes. Their diversity was 3.1%-3.5% for rrs and 11.2%-11.8% for htrA compared with O. tsusugamushi and 3.0% for rrs and 14.8% for htrA compared with Candidatus Orientia chuto. Phylogenetic analyses of both genes grouped the specimens from Chile in a different clade from other Orientia species. Our results indicate that Orientia isolates from Chile constitute a novel species, which, until they are cultivated and fully characterized, we propose to designate as Candidatus Orientia chiloensis, after the Chiloé Archipelago where the pathogen was identified.

• Publisher: U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases,Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subject: Algorithms / Antigens / Archipelagoes / Asia / Chile / Chile - epidemiology / Comparative analysis / Deoxyribonucleic acid / DNA / Epidemiology / Genes / Genetic testing / Genotype & phenotype / Humans / Molecular Description of a Novel / molecular sequence data / Orientia / Orientia tsutsugamushi / Orientia tsutsugamushi - genetics / Patients / Phylogenetics / Phylogeny / Rickettsiales / RNA / RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics / Scrub typhus / Scrub Typhus - epidemiology / Species Causing Scrub Typhus in Chile / Tetracyclines / Typhus