Boutonneuse fever in Portugal: 1995-2000. Data of a state laboratory

From 1995 through 2000, 3239 clinical samples were tested for rickettsiosis at the Center for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research – National Health Institute in Portugal. Boutonneuse fever due to R. conorii Malish or R. conorii Israel was laboratory confirmed in 374 samples (11.5%). Clinical and epidemiological features are discussed.     

Emerging rickettsioses of the Thai-Myanmar border

To investigate the presence of rickettsioses in rural residents of the central Thai-Myanmar border, we tested the blood of 46 patients with fever. Four patients had murine typhus, three patients had scrub typhus, and eight patients had spotted fever group rickettsioses, including the first case of Rickettsia felis infection reported in Asia.     

河南省首次实验室证实恙虫病暴发疫情

目的调查以发热、头痛、淋巴结肿大、皮疹为主要症状的不明原因疾病病因。方法对可疑病人进行流行病学调查,用血清学、巢式PCR方法检测病人血清抗体滴度、血清型及立克次体特异性基因片段。结果对发生在农村的32例病人中的20例病人进行血清外裴OXk凝集反应,阳性率达100%,其中11份的第2次病人血清OXk反应呈4倍升高;间接免疫荧光法检测IgM和IgG抗体,20份均为阳性,最高达到1∶2560;恙虫病血清学分型Gilliam 4例,Karp6例,Kato 8例。巢式PCR检测病人血凝块,结果3份扩增出Ot特异性DNA片段。结论首次证实河南省出现恙虫病暴发疫情。     

巢式聚合酶链反应检测血液中恙虫病立克次体56kDa抗原基因

目的通过恙虫病立克次体５６ｋＤａ抗原基因片段检测,探讨早期病原诊断的方法。方法采用巢式聚合酶链反应（ＮＰＣＲ）对１１例确诊及１０例疑诊恙虫病患者血液标本进行检测,并以血清ＩｇＧ抗体间接免疫荧光试验（ＩＦ）对比分析。结果１１份ＩＦ检测阳性的标本,ＮＰＣＲ均阳性;１０份ＩＦ阴性的标本,７例ＮＰＣＲ检测阳性,总阳性率为８５．７％。而作为阴性对照的１０份血标本则无阳性。结论本法用于临床血液标本中恙虫病立克次体ＤＮＡ的快速检测,具有敏感性高、特异性强的优点。     

Contribution of rickettsioses in Sri Lankan patients with fever who responded to empirical doxycycline treatment

Twenty-eight febrile Sri Lankan patients with undiagnosed fever for 7 days after hospital admission, who responded to empirical treatment with doxycycline, were retrospectively investigated using microimmunofluorescence assay to verify whether they had rickettsial infection. Eleven (39%) patients were confirmed as having spotted fever group rickettsioses and 10 (36%) as having Orientia tsutsugamushi. Seven were negative for all tests. This suggests that greater use of doxycycline appears justified for patients with undiagnosed fever in settings where rickettsial diseases are endemic or re-emerging with inadequate diagnostic facilities.