Possible Case of Novel Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis in Traveler Returning to Japan from India

Emerg Infect Dis. 2016 Jun;22(6):1079-82. doi: 10.3201/eid2206.151985.

Abstract

A 60-year-old woman experienced fever, headache, rash, and altered vision after returning to Japan from India. Testing detected elevated antibody titers to spotted fever group rickettsia; PCR on blood yielded positive results for the rickettsial outer membrane protein A gene. We isolated a unique rickettsial agent and performed a full-genome analysis.

Keywords: Candidatus; India; Japan; SFG; africae; argasii; bacteria; bacterial infection; conorii; genome; heilongjiangensis; honei; indica; infectious disease; japonica; kellyi; parkeri; rickettsia; sibirica; slovaca; spotted fever group; travel.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / immunology
  • Biomarkers
  • Biopsy
  • Communicable Diseases, Imported / diagnosis*
  • Communicable Diseases, Imported / microbiology*
  • Communicable Diseases, Imported / transmission
  • Exanthema / etiology
  • Exanthema / pathology
  • Female
  • Genes, Bacterial
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology
  • India
  • Japan
  • Middle Aged
  • Phylogeny
  • Rickettsia / genetics*
  • Rickettsia / immunology
  • Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis / diagnosis*
  • Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis / microbiology*
  • Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis / transmission
  • Travel-Related Illness*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Biomarkers
  • Immunoglobulin G