SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.33 suppl.1Serologic evidence of human Rickettsia infection found in three locations in PanamáTrends in yellow fever mortality in Colombia, 1998-2009 author indexsubject indexarticles search
Home Pagealphabetic serial listing  

Services on Demand

Journal

Article

Indicators

Related links

  • On index processCited by Google
  • Have no similar articlesSimilars in SciELO
  • On index processSimilars in Google

Share


Biomédica

Print version ISSN 0120-4157

Abstract

QUINTERO, Juan Carlos et al. Ecoepidemiology of rickettsial infection in rodents, ectoparasites and humans in northeastern Antioquia, Colombia. Biomédica [online]. 2013, vol.33, suppl.1, pp.38-51. ISSN 0120-4157.  https://doi.org/10.7705/biomedica.v33i0.735.

Introduction: Rickettsia spp. are tick, flea or lice-borne pathogenic bacterium, usually carried by rodents. In the last decade three outbreaks of rickettsial disease including fatalities, occurred in the provinces of Antioquia and Córdoba in northwestern Colombia. Objective: The purpose of this study was to perform an ecological and epidemiological description of the Rickettsia spp infection in the recently affected region of Colombia. Materials and methods: Samples were obtained from 354 rodents and their parasites captured in the municipalities of Apartadó, Turbo and Necoclí. Likewise, 220 human sera were also collected, for detection of infection by Rickettsia spp. Results: Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) revealed that 130 (43%) of the rodents and 53 (24%) of the humans produced antibodies to Rickettsia spp. Additionally, rickettsial DNA was amplified by PCR from 23 (6.8%) rodent liver samples using primers directed to the genus specific gltA gene. While gltA sequences from rodent samples exhibited a 98.7% similitude with R . prowazekii, a sequence amplified from larvae of Amblyomma sp exhibited identities of >99% similarity with R. tamurae . Conclusion: These results demonstrate the presence of rickettsia in rodents, ectoparasites and humans throughout the municipalities studied.

Keywords : Rickettsia; disease vectors; Rocky Mountain spotted fever; typhoid fever; diagnosis; Colombia.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )