This document discusses Rickettsia, a genus of bacteria that are transmitted by arthropods like ticks, fleas, and mites. It causes diseases like typhus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and African tick-bite fever in humans and animals. Rickettsia species are obligate intracellular parasites that reside inside host cells. They are susceptible to tetracycline antibiotics. The document provides details on the pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of R. rickettsii which causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever, as well as methods for laboratory diagnosis and control of Rickettsia species.