title: Detection of rickettsioses and Q fever in Sri Lanka.
abstract: Current serological evidence suggests the presence of scrub typhus and spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiosis in Sri Lanka. Our objective was to identify rickettsial agents/Q fever as aetiological causes for patients who were presumed having rickettsioses by the presence of an eschar or a rash. Sera from patients with unknown origin fever from Matara were tested by immunofluorescence for SFG rickettsial antigens, typhus group rickettsiae, Orientia tsutsugamushi, and Coxiella burnetii antigens. Thirteen (7.3%) of the patients presented with a rash, 11 (6.1%) had an inoculation eschar, and 16 patients recalled a tick or flea bite. We found that 25 (14%) patients had scrub typhus, 6 (3%) SFG rickettsioses, 3 (1.6%) acute Q fever, 3 (1.6%) murine typhus, and 3 (1.6%) were infected by Rickettsia felis. In addition to already described scrub and murine typhus, we found that R. felis and C. burnetii infections should be considered in Sri Lanka.
authors.affiliation: Université de la Méditerranée, URMITE UMR, CNRS-IRD, Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Marseille, France. angelotasmanos@msn.com
authors.forename: Emmanouil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Angelakis
authors.forename: Aruna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Munasinghe
authors.forename: Iranga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yaddehige
authors.forename: Veranja
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Liyanapathirana
authors.forename: Vasanthi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Thevanesam
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bregliano
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Socolovschi
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Edouard
authors.forename: Pierre Edouard
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parola
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000382:microbiology; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D012285:Orientia tsutsugamushi / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D011778:Q Fever / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012612:Scrub Typhus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000453:epidemiology; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology