A Dog Naturally Infected with Rickettsia akari in Yucatan, México

Rickettsia akari is the causative agent of rickettsialpox, a primarily urban mite–borne rickettsiosis that is encountered in the United States and in a few countries around the world. Its vector is the mite Liponyssoides sanguineus , which is found on rats and mice, which serve as reservoirs for the disease. In this work we report a severe animal case of R. akari infection with two unusual features: R. akari was found in a dog, and its potential vector was a tick.