Emerging Infectious Diseases (Dec 2005)

Human Rickettsia felis Infection, Canary Islands, Spain

  • Jose-Luis Pérez-Arellano,
  • Florence Fenollar,
  • Alfonso Angel-Moreno,
  • Margarita Bolaños,
  • Michele Hernández,
  • Evora Santana,
  • Marion Hemmersbach-Miller,
  • Antonio-M Martín,
  • Didier Raoult

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1112.050711
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 12
pp. 1961 – 1964

Abstract

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We report the first cases of human infection by Rickettsia felis in the Canary Islands. Antibodies against R. felis were found in 5 adsorbed serum samples from 44 patients with clinically suspected rickettsiosis by Western blot serology. Fleas from 1 patient's dog were positive for R. felis by polymerase chain reaction.

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