Rickettsia rickettsii

Description:

Description: Gimenez stain of tick hemolymph cells infected with Rickettsia rickettsii, the causative agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. R. rickettsii is a small bacterium that grows inside the cells of its hosts. These bacteria range in size from 0.2 x 0.5 micrometers to 0.3 x 2.0 micrometers. They are difficult to see in tissues by using routine histologic stains and generally require the use of special staining methods. The genus Rickettsia is included in the bacterial tribe Rickettsieae, family Rickettsiaceae, and order Rickettsiales. This genus includes many other species of bacteria associated with human disease, including those in the spotted fever group and in the typhus group. Date: 1979. Source: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever info page from the CDC. Author: CDC.