Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link Skip directly to A-Z link Skip directly to A-Z link
Volume 14, Number 12—December 2008
Letter

Antibodies against Rickettsia spp. in Hunters, Germany

Andreas JansenComments to Author , Bernard La Scola, Didier Raoult, Michael Lierz, Ole Wichmann, Klaus Stark, and Thomas Schneider

Author affiliations: Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany (A. Jansen, O. Wichmann, K. Stark); Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France (B. La Scola, D. Raoult); Free University of Berlin, Berlin (M. Lierz); Charité, Berlin (T. Schneider)

Main Article

Table

Positive immunofluorescence assay results for antigens to 9 Rickettsia spp. in 26 hunters, Germany, 2006*

Hunter no. IgG/IgM
R.conorii R.slovaca R.helvetica R.massiliae R.mongolitimonae R.israelensis R.aeschlimannii R.felis R.typhi
106 0/64
109 64/128 64/128 64/128 64/128 64/128 32/32 64/0 0/128
111 0/32 0/64 0/32
113 0/128 0/64
115 0/32 0/128 0/32 0/32 0/32 0/64 0/32 0/64
117 0/32 0/32 0/32 0/32
124 0/32 0/64 0/32 0/32 0/32 0/32 0/64
127 0/128 0/64
130 0/64 0/64 0/128 0/32 0/32 0/64 0/64
131 256/0 0/64
142 0/64 0/64 0/64 0/64 0/64
148 0/64 0/64 0/64 0/32
151 0/64 0/64 0/64 0/64 0/64
160 0/32 0/32 0/32 0/32
161 0/64 0/64 0/32 0/32
182 128/0
185 64/64
224 64/64 64/64 64/64 64/64 64/64 64/64 64/64 64/64 64/64
230 0/32 0/32 0/32
233 0/32 0/32 0/32 0/32 0/32 64/16
236 64/16
237 64/32
277 64/32 64/32
281 64/32
285 0/32 0/32 0/32 0/32 0/32
297 0/32 0/32 0/32 0/32 0/32 0/32 0/32 0/32

*All specimens were tested for all antigens. Boldface indicates nonspecific titers. Cutoff titers for seropositivity (immunoglobulin [Ig] G or IgM) were 128/64 for R. conorii and 64/32 for other antigens (8). A rickettsial antigen was considered to represent the agent of infection when cross-reactions were absent or when titers of IgG or IgM antibody against this antigen were >2 serial dilutions higher than titers of IgG or IgM antibody against other rickettsial antigens.

Main Article

References
  1. Parola  P, Paddock  CD, Raoult  D. Tick-borne rickettsioses around the world: emerging diseases challenging old concepts. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2005;18:71956. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  2. Burgdorfer  W, Aeschlimann  A, Peter  O, Hayes  SF, Philip  RN. Ixodes ricinus: vector of a hitherto undescribed spotted fever group agent in Switzerland. Acta Trop. 1979;36:35767.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  3. Beati  L, Péter  O, Burgdorfer  W, Aeschlimann  A, Raoult  D. Confirmation that Rickettsia helvetica sp. nov. is a distinct species of the spotted fever group of rickettsiae. Int J Syst Bacteriol. 1993;43:5216.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  4. Fournier  PE, Allombert  C, Supputamongkol  Y, Caruso  G, Brouqui  P, Raoult  D. Aneruptive fever associated with antibodies to Rickettsia helvetica in Europe and Thailand. J Clin Microbiol. 2004;42:8168. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  5. Nilsson  K, Lindquist  O, Påhlson  C. Association of Rickettsia helvetica with chronic perimyocarditis in sudden cardiac death. Lancet. 1999;354:116973. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  6. Hartelt  K, Oehme  R, Frank  H, Brockmann  S, Hassler  D, Kimmig  P. Pathogens and symbionts in ticks: prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Ehrlichia sp.), Wolbachia sp., Rickettsia sp., and Babesia sp. in southern Germany. Int J Med Microbiol. 2004;293:8692.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  7. La Scola  B, Raoult  D. Laboratory diagnosis of rickettsioses: current approaches to diagnosis of old and new rickettsial diseases. J Clin Microbiol. 1997;35:271527.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  8. Brouqui  P, Bacellar  F, Baranton  G, Birtles  RJ, Bjoërsdorff  A, Blanco  JR, Guidelines for the diagnosis of tick-borne bacterial diseases in Europe. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2004;10:110832. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  9. Simser  JA, Palmer  AT, Fingerle  V, Wilske  B, Kurtti  TJ, Munderloh  UG. Rickettsia monacensis sp. nov., a spotted fever group Rickettsia, from ticks (Ixodes ricinus) collected in a European city park. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2002;68:455966. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  10. Fingerle  V, Goodman  JL, Johnson  RC, Kurtti  TJ, Munderloh  UG, Wilske  B. Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis in southern Germany: increased seroprevalence in high-risk groups. J Clin Microbiol. 1997;35:32447.PubMedGoogle Scholar

Main Article

Page created: July 22, 2010
Page updated: July 22, 2010
Page reviewed: July 22, 2010
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
file_external