Detection of a typhus group Rickettsia in Amblyomma ticks in the state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
The state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico has had outbreaks of typhus group rickettsiosis, most recently recognized in 1997. Evaluation of the sera of 345 patients with a dengue-like illness revealed that 25.5% had antibodies reactive with typhus group rickettsiae and 16% had antibodies to Rickettsia parkeri. Rickettsiae were detected by PCR and shell-vial isolations in the field-collected Amblyomma ticks. Molecular characterization by DNA sequence analysis of the gltA, ompB, and 17-kDa gene identified the organisms to be R. prowazekii.
Laboratorio de Entomologia Medica, Facultad de Biologia, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, Mexico. medisanch@yahoo.com
Aaron
A
Medina-Sanchez
Donald H
DH
Bouyer
Virginia
V
Alcantara-Rodriguez
Claudio
C
Mafra
Jorge
J
Zavala-Castro
Ted
T
Whitworth
Vsevolod L
VL
Popov
Ildefonso
I
Fernandez-Salas
David H
DH
Walker
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D012283:Rickettsia prowazekii / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012286:Rickettsia typhi / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013987:Ticks / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D014437:Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D014438:Typhus, Epidemic Louse-Borne / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission
D007074:Immunoglobulin G