Transient infections of goats with a novel spotted fever group rickettsia from Zimbabwe.
A novel spotted fever group rickettsia has recently been isolated from Amblyomma hebraeum ticks in Zimbabwe. In a survey of 172 goat sera collected throughout Zimbabwe the highest prevalence of antibodies reactive with this rickettsia was in the south of the country, the area where A hebraeum is most commonly found. Nine goats were infected using male and female A hebraeum taken from a tick line shown to be infected with the novel rickettsia. By week 3 after infection, seroconversion occurred in all nine goats but no clinical signs of disease could be detected. A leucocytosis due to a mature neutrophilia one to two weeks after infection was the only abnormality. Rickettsaemia was detected only on day 3 after exposure to infected ticks. Immunosuppression failed to induce recrudescence of the rickettsaemia.
Kelly
P J
PJ
Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Zimbabwe, Mount Pleasant, Harare.
Mason
P R
PR
Rhode
C
C
Dziva
F
F
Matthewman
L
L
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006041:Goats; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012287:Rickettsiaceae / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012288:Rickettsiaceae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology; D015030:Zimbabwe / Q000453:epidemiology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial