Rickettsiales

Rickettsiales is a large family of bacteria that are obligate intracellular parasites, meaning they must live in an animal or insect host to survive. They can cause a wide range of diseases in humans and animals, including typhus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and ehrlichiosis.Rickettsia can also be used to study the evolutionary history of host-parasite relationships. Several Rickettsiales have been used as vectors for delivery of proteins, proteins and drugs to cells, making them important in the study of gene therapy.