Control of rickettsial diseases

Prevention of rickettsial infections is aimed at individual control and epidemic measures (especially in epidemic typhus), vector and rodent control, milk pasteurization (in Q fever), chemoprophylaxis and immunoprophylaxis. In vector and rodent control, the main obstacle is the rise in resistance to insecticides and rodenticides. For this reason in vector control, apart from insecticides, enhancement of the natural immunity acquired by animals in response to tick infestation and vaccination with concealed tick antigens as well as the use of hormones, chemosterilants and genetic manipulation can also be considered. For short-term high-risk exposure, doxycycline may be an effective prophylaxis of illness but may not prevent infection with scrub typhus or spotted fever group rickettsiae. At present, for specific prevention by vaccination, only Q fever vaccines are available for common use. However, development of subunit vaccines, namely immunogenic rickettsial proteins, cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli, seems to be very promising.Presented at the 4th International Symposium on Rickettsiae and Rickettsial Diseases, Pietany C.S.F.R., 1–6 October, 1990.