Flinders Island spotted fever rickettsioses caused by "marmionii" strain of Rickettsia honei, Eastern Australia.
Australia has 4 rickettsial diseases: murine typhus, Queensland tick typhus, Flinders Island spotted fever, and scrub typhus. We describe 7 cases of a rickettsiosis with an acute onset and symptoms of fever (100%), headache (71%), arthralgia (43%), myalgia (43%), cough (43%), maculopapular/petechial rash (43%), nausea (29%), pharyngitis (29%), lymphadenopathy (29%), and eschar (29%). Cases were most prevalent in autumn and from eastern Australia, including Queensland, Tasmania, and South Australia. One patient had a history of tick bite (Haemaphysalis novaeguineae). An isolate shared 99.2%, 99.8%, 99.8%, 99.9%, and 100% homology with the 17 kDa, ompA, gltA, 16S rRNA, and Sca4 genes, respectively, of Rickettsia honei. This Australian rickettsiosis has similar symptoms to Flinders Island spotted fever, and the strain is genetically related to R. honei. It has been designated the "marmionii" strain of R. honei, in honor of Australian physician and scientist Barrie Marmion.
Unsworth
Nathan B
NB
Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
Stenos
John
J
Graves
Stephen R
SR
Faa
Antony G
AG
Cox
G Erika
GE
Dyer
John R
JR
Boutlis
Craig S
CS
Lane
Amanda M
AM
Shaw
Matthew D
MD
Robson
Jennifer
J
Nissen
Michael D
MD
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D007299:Insect Bites and Stings / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology
D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S