title: Absence of serological evidence of Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., Ehrlichia spp. and Coxiella burnetii infections in American Samoa.
abstract: Little is known about the epidemiology of zoonotic diseases in American Samoa (Pacific). A review of literature did not identify any published information on human Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., Ehrlichia spp. or Coxiella burnetii infections in this country. To determine the presence of these diseases, we conducted a serosurvey of American Samoans. The presence of immunoglobulin G antibodies against Rickettsia felis, Rickettsia typhi, Rickettsia conorii, C. burnetii, Bartonella henselae, Bartonella quintana, and Ehrlichia chaffeensis was evaluated by indirect immunofluorescence assay in sera from 197 American Samoan adults. None of the samples had antibodies at a significant level against Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., Ehrlichia spp. or C. burnetii (seroprevalence 0%; one-tailed 95% CI 0-1.86%). We cannot conclude that these pathogens are absent in American Samoa but, if present, their prevalence is probably very low. Q fever has been reported worldwide except in New Zealand and French Polynesia; these new data suggest that the prevalence of Q fever is likely to be very low in the Pacific Islands.
authors.affiliation: Children's Health and Environment Program, Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia. Electronic address: colleen.lau@anu.edu.au.
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.affiliation: Pôle de Recherche et de Veille sur les Maladies Infectieuses Emergentes, Institut Louis Malardé, Tahiti, Polynésie Française.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Musso
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes, UM63, CNRS7278, IRD198, Inserm U1095, Centre national de référence des rickettsies, Coxiella et Bartonella, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée-infection, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Pierre-Edouard
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes, UM63, CNRS7278, IRD198, Inserm U1095, Centre national de référence des rickettsies, Coxiella et Bartonella, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée-infection, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parola
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes, UM63, CNRS7278, IRD198, Inserm U1095, Centre national de référence des rickettsies, Coxiella et Bartonella, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée-infection, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weinstein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018948:American Samoa / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001424:Bacterial Infections; D001474:Bartonella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011778:Q Fever / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012698:Serologic Tests; D055815:Young Adult; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G
keywords: American Samoa; Bartonella; Coxiella; Ehrlichia; Emerging diseases; Pacific Islands; Rickettsia; Seroprevalence; surveillance