Spotted fever group rickettsial infection in South-Eastern Australia: Isolation of rickettsiae

Graves, Stephen; Stewart, Linde; Stenos, John; Stewart, Robert Scott; Schmidt, Evan; Hudson, Simon; Banks, Joan; Huang, Zhibin; Dwyer, Brian

doi:10.1016/0147-9571(93)90149-y

Cited by 38 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…A different spotted fever group rickettsia (R. honei) occurs on Flinders Island (in the Bass Strait). [24][25][26][27][28] There is serologic evidence for a spotted fever group rickettsia in Tasmania, 25,31 although no specific rickettsia has been isolated. 32 It is not known if they are involved in rickettsial transmission in this part of Australia.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rickettsia serosurvey in Kimberley, Western Australia.

Graves

Wang²,

Nack³

et al. 1999

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Abstract. To determine if antibodies to rickettsiae (scrub typhus, spotted fever, and typhus group rickettsiae) occur among persons living in the Kimberley (northern tropical) region of Western Australia, 920 sera collected in a nonrandom manner in 1996 from patients in Kununurra, Broome, Fitzroy Crossing, Wyndham, Derby, and Halls Creek were tested by micro-immunofluorescence for antibodies to a panel of rickettsial antigens. Of 920 sera examined, 52 (5.6%) were positive for antibodies to one or more of the three groups of rickettsial microorganisms. The largest group of sera (24; 2.6%) were positive for scrub typhus (Orientia tsutsugamushi). Eleven other sera (1.2%) were positive for scrub typhus and spotted fever group rickettsiae and four (0.4%) were positive for scrub typhus, spotted fever group, and typhus group rickettsiae. In addition 13 sera (1.4%) were positive only for spotted fever group rickettsiae. In this study, only titers Ն 1:256 were considered significant. Thus, there is serologic evidence for scrub typhus and spotted fever group rickettsial infections in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Because of the method of serum collection, it is not possible to determine the prevalence of seropositivity, but the data support the need for a proper epidemiologic study of rickettsial diseases in this region of Australia.Rickettsial diseases have long been recognized in Australia.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…22,23 A new member of spotted fever group rickettsia (R. honei) has recently been detected on Flinders Island in the Bass Strait. [24][25][26][27][28] Each group of rickettsial diseases is transmitted by a different invertebrate ectoparasite species. The human louse transmits R. prowazekii and fleas of rats and mice transmit R. typhi.…”

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confidence: 99%

Rickettsia serosurvey in Kimberley, Western Australia.

Graves

Wang²,

Nack³

et al. 1999

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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“…This tick rarely bites humans but may play a role in the enzootic maintenance of R. australis in small animals (60,127). An uncharacterized SFG rickettsia was recently identified in the hemolymph of an Ixodes cornuatus tick removed from a human in Victoria (129). This tick is prevalent in south costal New South Wales, eastern Victoria, and Tasmania (288).…”

Section: Pathogens Described Prior To 1984mentioning

confidence: 99%

Tick-Borne Rickettsioses around the World: Emerging Diseases Challenging Old Concepts

2005

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SUMMARY During most of the 20th century, the epidemiology of tick-borne rickettsioses could be summarized as the occurrence of a single pathogenic rickettsia on each continent. An element of this paradigm suggested that the many other characterized and noncharacterized rickettsiae isolated from ticks were not pathogenic to humans. In this context, it was considered that relatively few tick-borne rickettsiae caused human disease. This concept was modified extensively from 1984 through 2005 by the identification of at least 11 additional rickettsial species or subspecies that cause tick-borne rickettsioses around the world. Of these agents, seven were initially isolated from ticks, often years or decades before a definitive association with human disease was established. We present here the tick-borne rickettsioses described through 2005 and focus on the epidemiological circumstances that have played a role in the emergence of the newly recognized diseases.

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“…The most closely-related rickettsial strain, according to genetic guidelines, was R. honeï as shown in the phylogenetic tree (Figure 2). R. honeï is the etiologic agent of Flinders Island (Australia) spotted fever, which was isolated from the blood of 2 patients in 1993 ( 11 , 12 ). The main reservoir of R. honeï was later determined to be Aponomma hydrosauri , a reptile tick ( 13 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%