An Epidemiologic and Immunologic Study of Boutonneuse Fever in Israel
Abstract
The study is directed towards identification and investigation of the etiologic agent responsible for a ricke tsial infection resembling boutonneuse fever which occurs in certain endemic foci in Israel. The frequency of occurrence of antibodies to spotted fever among inhabitants of the Ashdod area was determined using fluorescent antibodies. It averaged 10.5% among the persons in one of the subdistricts studied. Diagnostic serology of clinical rickettsioses indicated that spotted fever infections are more widespread in Israel than previously thought. Antibodies to spotted fever rickettsiae were found in a high percentage of dogs from the areas in which the clinical disease appears. The fluorescent antibody test was found to be more sensitive than complement fixation in that it picked up more reactors and gave higher serological titers. Three isolates of spotted fever rickettsiae, two from ticks and one from human blood, were made and shown to be antigenically identical. These strains differed in their antigenic composition from the Malish strain and the Indian tick typhus strain of R. conori. The Indian tick typhus strain and the Malish strain were not seriologically identical.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1971
- Accession Number
- AD0740835
Entities
People
- Marcus A. Klingberg
- Robert A. Goldwasser
- Tiberio A. Swartz
- Wanda Klingberg
Organizations
- Israel Institute for Biological Research