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PubMed2006

Low incidence of tick-borne rickettsiosis in a Spanish Mediterranean area.

The aim of this study was to know the incidence of tick-borne rickettsial disease in a Mediterranean area. The incidence in 5 years for 100,000 inhabitants was 1.7 for tick-borne-lymphadenopathy (TIBOLA) and 0.4 for Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF). MSH incidence during the last few years has been lower than expected; in contrast TIBOLA seems to be an emerging disease. At the present time our data suggest a low tick-borne rickettsiosis incidence of MSF and a superior incidence of TIBOLA than MSF in the Spanish Mediterranean area.

Humans↗
PubMed2006

Prevalence of Rickettsia felis in Ctenocephalides felis and Ctenocephalides canis from Uruguay.

Our aim was to determine the presence of Rickettsia spp. in 66 fleas from Uruguay. Rickettsial DNA was amplified using gltA and ompB PCR primers. Rickettsia spp. were found in 41% of the fleas (25 Ctenocephalides felis and 2 Ctenocephlides canis). Sequences resulted in the identification of Rickettsia felis and four genotypes closely related to this species (Rickettsia sp. TwKM03, California 2, Hf187, and RF2125). The presence of R. felis in fleas from Uruguay in was demonstrated. This is the second species of Rickettsia identified in Uruguay in the past 2 years using molecular approaches, and it is helping to clarify the etiology of rickettsial diseases in the region.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Spotted fever rickettsiosis in Coronel Fabriciano, Minas Gerais State.

We report cases of spotted fever rickettsiosis in Coronel Fabriciano Municipality of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The cases occurred in May and June of 2000. During this period there were two deaths among children from an area named Pedreira in a periurban area of this municipality. In a boy who died with clinical manifestations of Brazilian spotted fever, a necropsy revealed the presence of a spotted fever group Rickettsia. The serological results confirm the difficulty in the differential diagnosis of patients with symptoms of rickettsial diseases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

[Characterization of Rickettsia spp. circulating in a silent peri-urban focus for Brazilian spotted fever in Caratinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil].

The present study was intended to characterize Rickettsia spp. circulating in arthropod vectors in Caratinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil, by PCR and to investigate the presence of antibodies against the spotted fever Rickettsiae group (SFRG) in dogs and horses. 2,610 arthropods were collected and taxonomically identified. DNA samples obtained from these vectors were submitted to PCR and cycle-sequenced. Ctenocephalides and Amblyomma cajennense showed sequences presenting 100.0% homology with R. felis. A sequence obtained from Rhipicephalus sanguineus showed 99.0% homology with R. felis, and a sequence from A. cajennense showed 97.0% homology with R. honei and R. rickettsii. Canine (73) and equine (18) serum samples were tested by indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) using R. rickettsii antigen. Only three of the equine sera tested (17.0%) had positive antibody titers. Molecular detection of rickettsiae species potentially pathogenic to humans in arthropod vectors and the presence of seroreactivity to SFRG in horses show the risk of transmission of rickettsiosis in this area and the need to maintain continuous epidemiological surveillance for rickettsial diseases.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Propagation of the tick Amblyomma variegatum in the Caribbean.

The tropical bont tick, Amblyomma variegatum, is an African tick species which infests livestock and wildlife. It was probably introduced in the central eastern islands of the Caribbean during the 18th or 19th century, with cattle shipped from Senegal. In Africa and the Caribbean, this tick is a vector of heartwater (a rickettsial disease of ruminants) and is associated with acute dermatophilosis (a bacterial skin disease of animals). Until 1948, only Guadeloupe and the neighbouring islands of Marie Galante and Antigua were infested with this tick species. Following increased agricultural commerce between Guadeloupe and Martinique, the latter became infested in 1948. Between 1967 (when the tick was identified in St Croix) and 1988 (when a male tick was reported in St Vincent), fourteen new islands were reached by this tick. Most of the dissemination of the tick to new islands cannot be explained by legal or illegal movements of livestock. Recently-determined circumstantial evidence strongly links the increase in populations of the cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis), a migrating bird established in the Caribbean circa 1960, with increased colonisation of new islands by A. variegatum. Considering the wide range of areas currently occupied by this bird species in the Greater Antilles and on the American mainland, there is a high probability that the tick will also expand its range and invade new areas. Eradication of A. variegatum from the Caribbean and thus from the western hemisphere, and the strengthening of measures to prevent inter-island movements of livestock, would be the only effective means of preventing this threat.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Seroprevalence of HIV-type 1 in a northern California health plan population: an unlinked survey.

We conducted an unlinked seroprevalence survey for human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) of 9821 persons who had a routine personal health appraisal examination in 1989 while members of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in northern California. An outside laboratory performed enzyme immunoassay (EIA) analyses, and the California Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Laboratory confirmed EIA-reactive samples by immunofluorescent assay and Western blot assay. Only 20 specimens (0.2%) were confirmed as positive, and 18 were from men. These data suggest that, at the time of this survey, HIV-1 infection was not widespread in the northern California population represented by this health plan membership.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The rickettsia: an emerging group of pathogens in fish.

Piscirickettsia salmonis is the first of the previously unrecognized rickettsial pathogens of fish to be fully characterized. Since the recognition of P. salmonis in 1989, the impact of rickettsial pathogens in fish has become increasingly apparent. Growing awareness of the emergence of these fastidious intracellular organisms has led to the discovery of rickettsial diseases among diverse species of fish from different geographic locations and aquatic environments. The source, reservoir, and mode of transmission of these agents as well as appropriate methods of disease prevention and control remain to be established.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

First detection of spotted fever group rickettsiae in Ixodes ricinus from Italy.

Ixodes ricinus from Italy were examined for the first time to detect whether rickettsiae were present. Using molecular methods, we detected three different spotted fever group rickettsiae, including Rickettsia helvetica. Our results raise the possibility that bacteria other than R. conorii are involved in rickettsial diseases in Italy.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Spotted fever group and typhus group rickettsioses in humans, South Korea.

The presence of the nucleic acid of the spotted fever group (SPG) and typhus group (TG) rickettsiae was investigated in 200 serum specimens seropositive for SFG rickettsiae by multiplex-nested polymerase chain reaction with primers derived from the rickettsial outer membrane protein B gene. The DNA of SFG, TG, or both rickettsiae was amplified in the 24 serum specimens, and sequence analysis showed Rickettsia conorii, R. japonica, and R. felis in the specimens. R. conorii and R. typhi were found in 7 serum specimens, which indicated the possibility of dual infection in these patients. These findings suggest that several kinds of rickettsial diseases, including boutonneuse fever, rickettsialpox, R. felis infection, and Japanese spotted fever, as well as scrub typhus and murine typhus, are occurring in Korea.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1997

Seroepidemiologic evidence for murine and scrub typhus in Malang, Indonesia.

Indonesian military personnel stationed in Malang, East Java were among troops deployed to central Cambodia as part of the United Nations' Transition Authority Cambodia peace-keeping operation in 1992. Predeployment blood samples obtained from a cohort of Indonesian soldiers indicated a high prevalence of antibodies to antigens of Rickettsia typhi or Orientia (formerly Rickettsia) tsutsugamushi, the etiologic agents for murine and scrub typhus, respectively. To evaluate the potential risk of these rickettsial diseases in the Malang area, a subsequent seroepidemiologic survey was conducted. This study involved civilian personnel residing within one of three Malang kelurahans (neighborhoods) representing urban, suburban, and rural communities. The heads-of-households from 197 homes completed a detailed epidemiologic survey. In addition, blood samples were collected from 464 individuals residing within the households surveyed. Examination of civilian blood samples disclosed that 34.7% and 1.3% of the study participants were seroreactive to R. typhi and O. tsutsugamushi, respectively. These results were similar to those obtained earlier from the military samples. In addition, assessment of 78 blood samples obtained from peridomestic rodents trapped from within or near the households surveyed showed that 28 were reactive to R. typhi antigens and four were reactive to O. tsutsugamushi antigens. These data indicate that military and civilian personnel living in the Malang area of East Java are at risk of infection with rickettsiae that are antigenically indistinguishable from those that cause murine and scrub typhus.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Rickettsia serosurvey in Kimberley, Western Australia.

To determine if antibodies to rickettsiae (scrub typhus, spotted fever, and typhus group rickettsiae) occur among persons living in the Kimberley (northern tropical) region of Western Australia, 920 sera collected in a non-random manner in 1996 from patients in Kununurra, Broome, Fitzroy Crossing, Wyndham, Derby, and Halls Creek were tested by micro-immunofluorescence for antibodies to a panel of rickettsial antigens. Of 920 sera examined, 52 (5.6%) were positive for antibodies to one or more of the three groups of rickettsial microorganisms. The largest group of sera (24; 2.6%) were positive for scrub typhus (Orientia tsutsugamushi). Eleven other sera (1.2%) were positive for scrub typhus and spotted fever group rickettsiae and four (0.4%) were positive for scrub typhus, spotted fever group, and typhus group rickettsiae. In addition 13 sera (1.4%) were positive only for spotted fever group rickettsiae. In this study, only titers > or = 1:256 were considered significant. Thus, there is serologic evidence for scrub typhus and spotted fever group rickettsial infections in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Because of the method of serum collection, it is not possible to determine the prevalence of seropositivity, but the data support the need for a proper epidemiologic study of rickettsial diseases in this region of Australia.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1999

Short report: prevalence of antibodies against spotted fever, murine typhus, and Q fever rickettsiae in humans living in Zambia.

The causative agents of rickettsial diseases (Rickettsia conorii, R. typhi, and Coxiella burnetii) have been reported throughout the African continent. However, there have been no reports on epidemiologic surveys of these infections in Zambia. This study was designed to clarify the prevalence of three rickettsioses in 377 humans in Zambia. The seroprevalence of antibodies against R. conorii, R. typhi, and C. burnetii was 16.7%, 5.0%, and 8.2%, respectively. The rates of antibody positivity against R. conorii and C. burnetii were higher in the eastern (23.1% and 11.8%) and western (16.8% and 7.4%) areas of Zambia than in the northern (3.0% and 3.0%) area of this country. There was little difference among the three areas in the distribution of antibodies against R. typhi. Since cattle breeding is more extensive in the western and eastern areas than in the northern area, it is thought that cattle-breeding areas are foci of R. conorii and C. burnetii infections in Zambia.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Platelet-associated immunoglobulin (antiplatelet antibody) in canine Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis.

Antiplatelet antibodies were detected in the sera of dogs with naturally occurring and experimentally induced Rickettsia rickettsii and Ehrlichia canis infections. This is the first known report documenting elevated platelet-associated immunoglobulin (PAIg) titers in Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) infections. In the naturally occurring RMSF infections and ehrlichiosis, the antibodies persisted for weeks or months, even when the platelet counts had normalized. Results of this study indicate an immunological component for rickettsial thrombocytopenia. Therefore, current therapeutic recommendations, especially regarding avoiding the use of immunosuppressive drugs in patients with rickettsial diseases, need to be critically reviewed.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

A case of murine typhus in Queensland.

OBJECTIVE: To present a case of murine (endemic) typhus, the first to be reported within the last 30 years in Australia. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 17-year-old pregnant woman presented with a viral-like illness and later developed a spotted rash, fever and headache. INVESTIGATION AND OUTCOME: Sera taken on Day 7 and Day 30 of the illness showed seroconversion to Proteus OX19 (Weil-Felix) and to Rickettsia typhi (by immunofluorescence), indicating recent infection with Rickettsia of the typhus group. Her illness was clinically compatible with murine typhus. She responded well to erythromycin and delivered a normal infant at term. CONCLUSION: Infection with Rickettsia typhi (murine typhus) still occurs in Australia. It can be diagnosed by means of specific serological tests for rickettsial disease, which are superior to the non-specific Weil-Felix test.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Prevention and control of influenza: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

This report updates 1998 recommendations by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on the use of influenza vaccine and antiviral agents (MMWR 1998;47[No. RR-6]:1-26). The principal changes include a) information on the influenza virus strains included in the 1999-2000 trivalent vaccine; b) discussion of the potential expanded use of influenza vaccine; c) new background information on live-attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIVs), neuraminidase-inhibitor drugs, and rapid diagnostic tests; d) new information on the epidemiology of influenza among travelers; and e) the addition of referenced citations. This report and other information on influenza can be accessed at the website for the Influenza Branch, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, CDC at .

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Differences in levels of soluble E-selectin and VCAM-1 in malignant versus non malignant Mediterranean spotted fever.

In the present study, we investigated the plasma levels of soluble adhesion molecules E-selectin, P-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule- (ICAM- ) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1) in 24 patients with Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF), 6 of whom with a malignant form. Measurements were performed on blood samples collected before treatment (T1), then twice during treatment (T2 and T3). Before treatment, MSF patients taken as a whole presented elevated levels of sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 and normal levels of sE-selectin and sP-selectin compared to healthy controls. We found that sICAM-1 was elevated both in mild and malignant MSF. sE-selectin and sVCAM-1 were elevated only in patients with the malignant form and allowed to discriminate the two clinical subgroups. Their levels decreased after treatment with sE-selectin reaching control values at T2 whereas sVCAM-1 remained higher over the course of the malignant form. In patients with mild MSF, sP-selectin steadily increased after treatment, whereas it did not present any modification at any of the two sampling times in patients with the malignant form. Raised plasma levels of sE-selectin and sVCAM-1 reflect endothelial activation in malignant rickettsial disease and may be sufficiently early markers to influence the therapeutic decision.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Neuraminidase inhibitors for treatment of influenza A and B infections.

Influenza epidemics are responsible for an average of approximately 20,000 deaths per year in the United States. The main method for preventing influenza and its severe complications is influenza vaccination. Influenza-specific antiviral drugs are an important adjunct to vaccine but are not a substitute for vaccine. In the United States, four antiviral agents are approved for preventing or treating influenza: amantadine, rimantadine, zanamivir, and oseltamivir. Amantadine was approved for prophylaxis of influenza A(H2N2) infection in the United States in 1966 and was approved for prophylaxis and treatment of influenza A infection in 1976; rimantadine was approved for treatment and prophylaxis of influenza A infection in 1993 [corrected]. This report provides information on two neuraminidase inhibitors, zanamivir and oseltamivir, which were approved in 1999. Neuraminidase inhibitors are a new class of antiviral drugs that inhibit influenza A and B viruses. Zanamivir is approved for treatment of uncomplicated acute illness caused by influenza virus in persons aged > or =12 years who have been symptomatic for no more than 2 days. Oseltamivir is approved for treatment of uncomplicated illness caused by influenza infection in adults aged > or =18 years who have been symptomatic for no more than 2 days. Neither zanamivir nor oseltamivir is approved for influenza prophylaxis. This report and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) 1999 recommendations on influenza prevention and control (MMWR 1999;48[No.RR-4]:1-28) can be accessed at the website for the Influenza Branch, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, CDC, at or at the MMWR website at .

Acetamides↗