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Frequency Of Rickettsia Sps. In Dermacentor Variabilis And Amblyomma Americanum In Central Hanover County, Virginia, Peggy Ann Keefe

Master's Theses

In the eastern United States, Dermacentor variabilis is the primary vector of Rickettsia rickettsii, the etiological agent for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in eastern United States increased steadily from 1959 to 1979 to a peak of one case per 200,000 people in 1979 (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 1985). In 1976, 98.9% of the reported cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever were east of the 100th meridian with 1.1% occurring west of the 100th meridian (Burgdorfer, 1977). Hanover County, Virginia is an endemic area for this disease (Sonenshine, 1971); the last reported case was …