No serological evidence for rickettsial diseases among Danish elite orienteerers.
A series of sudden unexpected cardiac deaths among Swedish elite orienteerers in the 1980s have resulted from the combination of infectious diseases and physical exercise. Studies in the late 1990s have pointed to Chlamydia and Barontella, which both had a high seroprevalence among Swedish elite orienteerers. We conducted a case-control study aimed to elucidate the serologic prevalence of rickettsial diseases among Danish elite orienteerers. Ticks are known as vectors for some rickettsial diseases. None of the orienteerers had a positive antibody titer against any of the tested Rickettsia despite a very high frequency of tick bites in this group.
Schiellerup
Peter
P
Unit of Gastrointestinal Infectious, Department of Bacteriology, Mycology and Parasitology, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300 Copenhagen S., Denmark. pschiellerup@dadlnet.dk
Dyhr
Thomas
T
Rolain
Jean Marc
JM
Christensen
Marianne
M
Damsgaard
Rasmus
R
Fisker
Niels
N
Andersen
Niels Frost
NF
Raoult
Didier
D
Krogfelt
Karen A
KA
D000818:Animals; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D007299:Insect Bites and Stings / Q000453:epidemiology; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012288:Rickettsiaceae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012698:Serologic Tests; D013177:Sports / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013987:Ticks