Query: NC_009488:186000 Orientia tsutsugamushi str. Boryong, complete genome
Lineage: Orientia tsutsugamushi; Orientia; Rickettsiaceae; Rickettsiales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: This strain was isolated from a human in 1995 in Boryong, Korea. Causal agent of scrub typhus. This organism is the causative agent of scrub typhus, and like other members of the Rickettsiales is an obligate intracellular organism. Scrub typhus, which occurs in rural and agricultural areas, is one of the most common infectious diseases in southeast Asia where an estimated 1 million cases occur each year. Many cases are mild, but if left untreated, a variety of serious illnesses can arise and fatality rates can range from 1-35%. Transmission occurs via an insect vector through the bite of the larval trombiculid mite (chiggers). The bacterium is transmitted transovarially in mites (from females to their offspring).
Subject: NC_010677:214712 Francisella tularensis subsp. mediasiatica FSC147, complete genome
Lineage: Francisella tularensis; Francisella; Francisellaceae; Thiotrichales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: This isolate was collected from a gerbil in central Asia. This organism was first identified by Edward Francis as the causative agent of a plague-like illness that affected squirrels in Tulare county in California in the early part of the 20th century. The organism now bears his name. The disease, which has been noted throughout recorded history, can be transmitted to humans by infected ticks or deerflies, infected meat, or by aerosol, and thus is a potential bioterrorism agent. This organism has a high infectivity rate, and can invade phagocytic and nonphagocytic cells, multiplying rapidly. Once within a macrophage, the organism can escape the phagosome and live in the cytosol. It is an aquatic organism, and can be found living inside protozoans, similar to what is observed with Legionella.