Abstract
The state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico has had outbreaks of typhus group rickettsiosis, most recently recognized in 1997. Evaluation of the sera of 345 patients with a dengue-like illness revealed that 25.5% had antibodies reactive with typhus group rickettsiae and 16% had antibodies to Rickettsia parkeri. Rickettsiae were detected by PCR and shell-vial isolations in the field-collected Amblyomma ticks. Molecular characterization by DNA sequence analysis of the gltA, ompB, and 17-kDa gene identified the organisms to be R. prowazekii.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Humans
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Immunoglobulin G / blood
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Mexico / epidemiology
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Rickettsia prowazekii / immunology*
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Rickettsia prowazekii / isolation & purification
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Rickettsia typhi / immunology
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Rickettsia typhi / isolation & purification
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Ticks / genetics
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Ticks / microbiology*
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Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne / diagnosis*
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Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne / epidemiology
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Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne / transmission
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Typhus, Epidemic Louse-Borne / diagnosis*
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Typhus, Epidemic Louse-Borne / epidemiology
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Typhus, Epidemic Louse-Borne / transmission