Rickettsia felis Infection in Febrile Patients, Western Kenya, 2007–2010

Abstract

To determine previous exposure and incidence of rickettsial infections in western Kenya during 2007–2010, we conducted hospital-based surveillance. Antibodies against rickettsiae were detected in 57.4% of previously collected serum samples. In a 2008–2010 prospective study, Rickettsia felis DNA was 2.2× more likely to be detected in febrile than in afebrile persons.

Keywords

• rickettsial infections
• Rickettsia felis
• rickettsia
• Kenya
• fever of unknown origin