title: Usefulness of the early molecular diagnosis of Q fever and rickettsial diseases in patients with fever of intermediate duration.
abstract: Most cases of fever of intermediate duration (FDI) in Spain are associated with infectious diseases (mainly Q fever and rickettsia infections). In clinical practice, the causal diagnosis of these entities is based on immunodiagnostic techniques, which are of little help in the early stages. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of molecular techniques for the early diagnosis of Q fever and rickettsia diseases in patients with FDI. A PCR method was used to detect the presence of genetic material of Coxiella burnetii and Rickettsia spp. in blood specimens from 271 patients with FDI. The specificity of both techniques is high, allowing diagnosis in cases undiagnosed by specific antibodies detection. These data suggest that the use of molecular techniques, with proper selection of the study specimen, and using appropriate primers is a useful tool in the early diagnosis of the main causes of FDI, especially if serology is negative or inconclusive.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Microbiología y Parasitología, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España.
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bolaños-Rivero
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Medicina Tropical, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España; Departamento de Ciencias Médicas y Quirúrgicas, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carranza-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Medicina Tropical, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España; Departamento de Ciencias Médicas y Quirúrgicas, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernández-Cabrera
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Medicina Tropical, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España; Departamento de Ciencias Médicas y Quirúrgicas, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pisos-Álamo
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Medicina Tropical, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España; Departamento de Ciencias Médicas y Quirúrgicas, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España.
authors.forename: Nieves
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jaén-Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Medicina Tropical, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España; Departamento de Ciencias Médicas y Quirúrgicas, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España. Electronic address: jlperez@dcmq.ulpgc.es.
authors.forename: José-Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pérez-Arellano
mesh_terms: D016470:Bacteremia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology*; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011778:Q Fever / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial
keywords: Coxiella burnetii; Fever of intermediate duration; Fiebre de duración intermedia; PCR; Rickettsia spp.