Fatal Rickettsia conorii subsp. israelensis Infection, Israel

Abstract

Underdiagnosis of fatal spotted fever may be attributed to nonspecific clinical features and insensitive acute-phase serologic studies. We describe the importance of molecular and immunohistochemical methods in establishing the postmortem diagnosis of locally acquired Israeli spotted fever due to Rickettsia conorii subsp. israelensis in a traveler returning to Israel from India.

Keywords

• PCR
• Israel
• epidemiology
• Rickettsia infections
• Rickettsia conorii
• genetics