Unidentified Rickettsia bacteria in western black-legged ticks
Official title: The Ecology and Classification of Rickettsia Species Phylotype G022, an Uncharacterized Bacterium from Ixodes pacificus Ticks
Funded at Humboldt State University · NIH-11143792 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking into whether a newly found Rickettsia bacterium in Pacific Coast ticks might cause illness in people and animals.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Humboldt State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Arcata, United States) |
| Project start | September 12, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $147,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R16AI167834-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11143792 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living on the U.S. Pacific Coast who have had tick bites, unexplained fever or symptoms after tick exposure, or occupational/outdoor exposure to ticks would be most relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with health issues unrelated to tick exposure or who live far from the Pacific Coast are unlikely to benefit directly from this specific project.
What this research studies
If you worry about tick-borne illness, this project focuses on a little-known Rickettsia detected in black-legged ticks on the U.S. Pacific Coast. Scientists collect nymph and adult Ixodes pacificus ticks from the field and use genetic tests to detect and measure how often the bacterium appears. They will compare the bacterium’s DNA to other known Rickettsia and run lab experiments to learn whether it has features linked to causing disease. The work combines field surveillance, molecular typing, and laboratory pathogenesis studies to understand its ecology and potential risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify a previously unrecognized cause of tick-borne illness and improve diagnosis, surveillance, and prevention for people and pets in the region.
How similar studies have gone: Similar field and molecular approaches have identified other Rickettsia species that cause human disease, but this particular phylotype (G022) is novel and its role in illness is not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
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Humboldt State University
Arcata, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhong, Jianmin — Humboldt State University
- Study coordinator: Zhong, Jianmin
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.