The seroprevalence of human infection with Rickettsia slovaca, in an area of northern Spain

Authors: Lledó, L.1; Gegúndez, M.I.1; Fernandes, N.2; Sousa, R.2; Vicente, J.3; Álamo, R.3; Fernández-Soto, P.4; Pérez-Sánchez, R.4; Bacellar, F.2

Source: Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Volume 100, Number 4, June 2006 , pp. 337-343(7)

Publisher: Maney Publishing

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Abstract:

An epidemiological survey was undertaken to explore human exposure to Rickettsia slovaca in two provinces of northern Spain. When IFAT were used to test 200 members of the general population for antibodies to rickettsiae of the spotted-fever group, six (3.3%) were found positive, presumably, since Dermacentor is one of the most common genera of human-biting tick in the study area, for antibodies to R. slovaca. Thirty-one (16.9%) of an additional 183 subjects who presented shortly after being bitten by ticks were also found seropositive. The difference in seroprevalence between the general and the tick-bitten populations was significant. Subject gender had no influence on seroprevalence in either population, although, in the tick-bitten group, age and occupation did have a significant influence on the prevalence recorded. Immunoblotting was used to confirm the presence of antibodies in the five subjects, all from the tick-bitten group, found to have acute infections. Three D. marginatus ticks obtained from three of these acute cases were found PCR-positive for R. slovaca DNA.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1179/136485906X105570

Affiliations: 1: Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Alcalá, Carretera Madrid-Barcelona Km 33.6, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain 2: Centro de Estudos de Vectores e Doenςas Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Saúde, Avenida da Liberdade No. 5, 2965-575 Águas de Moura, Portugal 3: Servicio Territorial de Sanidad y Bienestar Social de la Junta de Castilla y León, Paseo de Zorilla No. 1, 47007 Valladolid, Spain 4: Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Salamanca, Avenida Campo Charro s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain

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