title: The use of eschar swabs for the diagnosis of African tick-bite fever.
abstract: African tick-bite fever (ATBF) caused by Rickettsia africae is a frequent cause of fever in returned travelers. Here, we used eschar swabs and/or eschar crust samples for the molecular diagnosis of ATBF in returned travelers. In 4 of 5 patients returning from South Africa, including 3 with negative serology, R. africae was identified by molecular tools targeting 2 different genes. The findings of this study highlight the usefulness of eschar swabs and/or eschar crust samples for the diagnosis of R. africae infection.
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod Borne Bacterial Diseases, 27 bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille Cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Socolovschi
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Renvoisé
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brouqui
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parola
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007299:Insect Bites and Stings / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013019:South Africa; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014195:Travel; D057236:Travel Medicine / Q000379:methods