Murine Typhus in Returned Travelers: A Report of Thirty-Two Cases

Walter, Gaëlle; Botelho-Nevers, Élisabeth; Socolovschi, Cristina; Raoult, Didier; Parola, Philippe

doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2012.11-0794

Cited by 89 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Bartonella elizabethae was identified in a R. norvegicus (CM), showing 100% homology with the reference strain (GenBank AF165992). 31 Identification of Rickettsia. Out of 18 flea pools, 13 (72.2%) were positive for the targeted ompB fragment of Rickettsia spp.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All samples were screened for all spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR) using real-time qPCR targeting a fragment of gltA gene (RKND03 system), 30 and by R. typhi-specific qPCR targeting a fragment of RTB9991CWPP_01310 gene coding for a hypothetical protein. 31 The DNA R. montanensis and DNA R. typhi were used as positive controls. The concentration of rickettsial DNA is estimated through the number of cycles that is required before the fluorescence signal intensity exceeds the detection threshold (Ct).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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High Prevalence of Rickettsia typhi and Bartonella Species in Rats and Fleas, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Laudisoit¹,

Falay

Amundala

et al. 2014

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Abstract. The prevalence and identity of Rickettsia and Bartonella in urban rat and flea populations were evaluated in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by molecular tools. An overall prevalence of 17% Bartonella species and 13% Rickettsia typhi, the agent of murine typhus, was found in the cosmopolitan rat species, Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus that were infested by a majority of Xenopsylla cheopis fleas. Bartonella queenslandensis, Bartonella elizabethae, and three Bartonella genotypes were identified by sequencing in rat specimens, mostly in R. rattus. Rickettsia typhi was detected in 72% of X. cheopis pools, the main vector and reservoir of this zoonotic pathogen. Co-infections were observed in rodents, suggesting a common mammalian host shared by R. typhi and Bartonella spp. Thus, both infections are endemic in DRC and the medical staffs need to be aware knowing the high prevalence of impoverished populations or immunocompromised inhabitants in this area.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Prevalence of Rickettsia typhi and Bartonella Species in Rats and Fleas, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Laudisoit¹,

Falay

Amundala

et al. 2014

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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“…[4][5][6] It has also been increasingly recognized as a cause of fever in returning travelers. 2 In 1944, the number of murine typhus cases in the United States reached a peak of 5,401 and experienced a precipitous decline in the years following. This decline has been attributed to measures to control the proliferation of rats as well as the broad use of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) in the mid to late 1940s, which dramatically decreased the burden of ectoparasites, such as X. cheopis, infesting rats.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is often clinically indistinguishable from other causes of fever, especially those prevalent in the tropics (e.g., malaria, dengue, leptospirosis, scrub typhus, and spotted fever group rickettsioses). 2 Confirmation of diagnosis is difficult, as it usually requires the serologic detection of antibodies, which are often not present in the first week of illness. For these reasons, murine typhus is mostly underdiagnosed and is often not appreciated as a cause of disease.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Opossums and Cat Fleas: New Insights in the Ecology of Murine Typhus in Galveston, Texas

Blanton

Idowu

Tatsch

et al. 2016

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Abstract. Murine typhus is an acute undifferentiated febrile illness caused by Rickettsia typhi. The classic reservoir (Rattus spp.) and flea vector (Xenopsylla cheopis) were once culprits of murine typhus in the United States. Vector and rodent control efforts have drastically decreased the prevalence of disease, except in a few endemic foci where opossums and cat fleas play a role in transmission. Since 2012, there has been a reemergence of murine typhus in Galveston, TX. We hypothesize that opossums and cat fleas are involved in the transmission of R. typhi in Galveston. To explore this, we sought to find the seroprevalence of typhus group antibodies from opossums. We also sought to find the prevalence of R. typhi in fleas parasitizing these animals. We collected blood from 12 opossums and found that eight (66.7%) had the presence of anti-R. typhi antibodies. All opossums were infested with fleas; a total of 250 Ctenocephalides felis fleas were collected from these animals. Seven opossums (53.8%) were infested with fleas that had molecular evidence of R. typhi infection, while six (46.2%) were infested with fleas that contained Candidatus Rickettsia senegalensis, an organism closely related to R. felis. The minimum flea infection rate for R. typhi was 7.0%. The minimum infection rate for Candidatus R. senegalensis was 6.1%. Our study demonstrates that fleas infected with R. typhi parasitize opossums in Galveston. It is therefore likely that opossums and their fleas play a role in the city's recent reemergence of murine typhus.

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“…typhi, the agent of murine typhus can affect homeless people in Europe or may be reported as travel associated zoonotic disease (Leshem et al, 2011). Recently, in a French retrospective study, all murine typhus cases occurred in travellers and most of them had returned from Africa and South-east Asia (Walter et al, 2012).…”

Section: Epidemiologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Update on Rickettsioses in Slovakia

Sekeyová¹,

Socolovschi²,

Špitalská³

et al. 2013

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Summary. -The reported incidence of vector-borne diseases including various cases of Rickettsioses in humans is increasing due to a combination of climatic and social factors, escalating the opportunities for contact between people and ticks, fleas or lice. Many of the emerging infectious diseases currently challenging human health in Europe are transmitted by ticks which normally feed on domestic or wild animals. Each Rickettsia spp. has one or several tick vectors, and their geographical distribution varies according to geographical conditions; e.g.; altitude or temperature, which is gradually changing due to a global warming. Evidence of Rickettsia spp. particularly of a newly discovered species is a strong indication that a great number of diseases may be caused by so far undetected or unrecognized organisms. Their diagnosis relies mostly on rare "spot like" cooperation of clinicians with scientists, the members of the working groups that are devoted to the scientific studies of the corresponding research areas. The clinical picture of the disease caused by rickettsiae varies significantly from flu like symptoms to severe fatal outcomes, reflecting the various factors, e.g. a variability of virulence of rickettsial species due to cell invasion, dissemination of rickettsiae, genomics, immune response of an infected organism, or a tricky impact of a treatment. Several major reviews on rickettsioses have been previously published, e.g. in 1997(Parola et al., 2005, and in 2011 (Botelho-Nevers and Raoult, 2011). In this work we intend to present a short historical overview and to describe new trends in research studies of rickettsiology. The main focus will be on rickettsioses affecting Europe΄s population.

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Murine Typhus in Returned Travelers: A Report of Thirty-Two Cases

Cited by 89 publications

References 29 publications

High Prevalence of Rickettsia typhi and Bartonella Species in Rats and Fleas, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo

High Prevalence of Rickettsia typhi and Bartonella Species in Rats and Fleas, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Opossums and Cat Fleas: New Insights in the Ecology of Murine Typhus in Galveston, Texas

Update on Rickettsioses in Slovakia

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