HOMEPRODUCTSCOMPANYCONTACTFAQResearchDictionaryPharmaSign Up FREE or Login

Flea-borne rickettsioses in the north of Caldas province, Colombia.

Abstract
Rickettsia typhi and R. felis are the etiological agents of murine typhus and flea-borne spotted fever, respectively. Both are emerging acute febrile zoonotic diseases for which fleas are vectors; they also have similar clinical characteristics and global distribution. In 2005, we identified the circulation of murine typhus in 6 towns within the mountainous coffee-growing area north of Caldas, Colombia. We now report the specific seroprevalence against R. typhi and R. felis, and associated risk factors in 7 towns of this province. The combined seroprevalence against the 2 flea-borne rickettsioses is the highest yet reported in the literature: 71.7% (17.8% for R. felis, 25.2% for R. typhi, and 28.7% for both). We also report a prospective analysis of 26 patients with a febrile illness compatible with rickettsioses, including murine typhus; 9 of these patients had a rickettsiosis. This supports our sero-epidemiological results and highlights the diagnostic complexity of febrile syndromes in this region.
AuthorsMarylin Hidalgo, Viviana Montoya, Alejandra Martínez, Marcela Mercado, Alberto De la Ossa, Carolina Vélez, Gloria Estrada, Jorge E Pérez, Alvaro A Faccini-Martínez, Marcelo B Labruna, Gustavo Valbuena
JournalVector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.) (Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis) Vol. 13 Issue 5 Pg. 289-94 (May 2013) ISSN: 1557-7759 [Electronic] United States
PMID23473218 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
Topics
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Animals
  • Colombia (epidemiology)
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Insect Vectors (microbiology)
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • Rickettsia Infections (epidemiology, microbiology)
  • Rickettsia felis (genetics, isolation & purification)
  • Rickettsia typhi (genetics, isolation & purification)
  • Risk Factors
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Siphonaptera (microbiology)
  • Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne (epidemiology, microbiology)
  • Young Adult
  • Zoonoses

Join CureHunter, for free Research Interface BASIC access!

Take advantage of free CureHunter research engine access to explore the best drug and treatment options for any disease. Find out why thousands of doctors, pharma researchers and patient activists around the world use CureHunter every day.
Realize the full power of the drug-disease research graph!


Choose Username:
Email:
Password:
Verify Password:
Enter Code Shown: