Bartonella quintana and Typhus Group Rickettsiae Exposure among Homeless Persons, Bogotá, Colombia

Emerg Infect Dis. 2017 Nov;23(11):1876-1879. doi: 10.3201/eid2311.170341.

Abstract

In 2015, we investigated Bartonella quintana and typhus group rickettsiae in body lice from homeless persons in Bogotá, Colombia. We found B. quintana-infected body lice and seroprevalence of this microorganism in 19% of homeless persons and typhus group rickettsiae in 56%. Public health professionals should start preemptive measures and active vector control.

Keywords: Bartonella quintana; Brazil; Colombia; Rickettsia; arthropods; bacteria; homeless persons; lice; typhus group rickettsiae; vector-borne infections.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Bartonella quintana / genetics
  • Bartonella quintana / immunology*
  • Bartonella quintana / isolation & purification
  • Colombia / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Ill-Housed Persons
  • Insect Vectors / microbiology*
  • Lice Infestations / epidemiology
  • Lice Infestations / microbiology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pediculus / microbiology*
  • Rickettsia / genetics
  • Rickettsia / immunology*
  • Rickettsia / isolation & purification
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Trench Fever / epidemiology
  • Trench Fever / microbiology*
  • Trench Fever / transmission