title: Absence of antibodies to Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., Ehrlichia spp. and Coxiella burnetii in Tahiti, French Polynesia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the Pacific islands countries and territories, very little is known about the incidence of infectious diseases due to zoonotic pathogens. To our knowledge, human infections due to Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Ehrlichia spp. and Bartonella spp. have never been reported in French Polynesia; and infections due to C. burnetti have been reported worldwide except in New Zealand. To evaluate the prevalence of this disease, we conducted a serosurvey among French Polynesian blood donors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The presence of immunoglobulin G antibodies against R. felis, R. typhi, R. conorii, C. burnetii, B. henselae, B. quintana, and E. chaffeensis was evaluated by indirect immunofluorescence assay in sera from 472 French Polynesian blood donors collected from 2011 to 2013. In addition, 178 ticks and 36 cat fleas collected in French Polynesia were also collected and tested by polymerase chain reaction to detect Rickettsia spp., B. henselae and Ehrlichia spp.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the blood donors had antibodies at a significant level against Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Ehrlichia spp. and Bartonella spp. All tested ticks and cat fleas were PCR-negative for Rickettsia spp., B. henselae, and Ehrlichia spp.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We cannot conclude that these pathogens are absent in French Polynesia but, if present, their prevalence is probably very low. C. burnetii has been reported worldwide except in New Zealand. It may also be absent from French Polynesia.
authors.affiliation: Pôle de recherche et de veille sur les maladies infectieuses émergentes, Institut Louis Malardé, Tahiti, PO Box 30, 98713 Tahiti, Polynésie française. dmusso@ilm.pf.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Musso
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Broult
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parola
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
authors.forename: Pierre-Edouard
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Fournier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001473:Bartonella / Q000276:immunology; D001474:Bartonella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001782:Blood Donors; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000276:immunology; D058251:Ctenocephalides / Q000382:microbiology; D004536:Ehrlichia / Q000276:immunology; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011114:Polynesia; D011778:Q Fever / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000276:immunology; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology