title: Rocky Mountain spotted fever vaccine: a regional need.
abstract: Because the killed Rickettsia vaccines have failed to provide protection against Rocky Mountain spotted fever, we approached the problem of protective immunity to Rickettsia rickettsii with a closely related, live, less pathogenic spotted fever Rickettsia. Guinea pigs vaccinated with R conorii produced antibodies to spotted fever group rickettsiae and did not have fever or other signs of illness after challenge with R rickettsii. A vaccine against Rocky Mountain spotted fever would be useful in some medical practices in the southeastern United States because of the life-threatening nature of the disease, including the possibility of a fulminant course and the frequent difficulty in diagnosis. Further studies should be pursued toward the goal of developing an effective vaccine against Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008297:Male; D009657:North Carolina; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012284:Rickettsia rickettsii / Q000276:immunology; D012290:Rickettsial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D012373:Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014612:Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D012290:Rickettsial Vaccines; D014612:Vaccines