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.
Medina-Sanchez
Aaron
A
Laboratorio de Entomologia Medica, Facultad de Biologia, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, Mexico. medisanch@yahoo.com
Bouyer
Donald H
DH
Alcantara-Rodriguez
Virginia
V
Mafra
Claudio
C
Zavala-Castro
Jorge
J
Whitworth
Ted
T
Popov
Vsevolod L
VL
Fernandez-Salas
Ildefonso
I
Walker
David H
DH
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