Tick-borne relapsing fever borreliosis, rural senegal

Emerg Infect Dis. 2011 May;17(5):883-5. doi: 10.3201/eid1705.100573.

Abstract

Detecting spirochetes remains challenging in cases of African tick-borne relapsing fever. Using real-time PCR specific for the 16S rRNA Borrelia gene, we found 27 (13%) of 206 samples from febrile patients in rural Senegal to be positive, whereas thick blood smear examinations conducted at dispensaries identified only 4 (2%) as positive.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Borrelia / genetics
  • Borrelia / physiology*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Genes, Bacterial / genetics
  • Humans
  • Male
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
  • Relapsing Fever / diagnosis*
  • Relapsing Fever / drug therapy
  • Relapsing Fever / epidemiology
  • Relapsing Fever / transmission
  • Senegal / epidemiology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S