Species diversity of spotted fever group rickettsia in the territory of northwestern Russia and the baltic region countries

The spotted fever group rickettsia is a group of obligate intracellular, Gram-negative bacteria belonging to the genus Rickettsia. They are widely distributed and capable of causing disease in a large number of vertebrate species, including humans, primarily transmitted through tick bites.
The study’s objective was to identify the species diversity of spotted fever group rickettsia circulating in the territory of northwestern Russia and the countries of the Baltic region by analyzing scientific literature.
Materials and methods. Data for this review were obtained from articles published in journals indexed in scientometric databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar, covering the period from January 1, 1979, to January 31, 2025.
Results. The analysis revealed seven pathogenic species of spotted fever group rickettsia detected in ixodid ticks collected from vegetation in northwestern Russia and the Baltic region: R. helvetica, Candidatus R. tarasevichiae, R. raoultii, R. slovaca, R. monacensis, R. aeschlimannii and R. tamurae.
The primary reservoirs of these rickettsia species in natural foci are ticks of the genus: Ixodes, Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma, Dermacentor, Rhipicephalus and Amblyomma.
The clinical picture of these forms of tick-borne rickettsioses includes several symptom groups: dermatological (skin rash, necrotic eschar at the tick bite site); flu-like (fever, headache, fatigue, malaise, chills, cough and dizziness); musculoskeletal (myalgia, arthralgia); gastrointestinal (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia) and other symptoms (lymphadenopathy, conjunctivitis, edema, meningitis).
Conclusion. The findings confirm the existence of natural foci of tick-borne rickettsioses in northwestern Russia and the Baltic region, highlight the significant species diversity of spotted fever group rickettsia in these areas, and justify the need for ongoing monitoring of tick prevalence of these pathogens.

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