Detecting Rickettsia parkeri Infection from Eschar Swab Specimens

Abstract

The typical clinical presentation of several spotted fever group Rickettsia infections includes eschars. Clinical diagnosis of the condition is usually made by analysis of blood samples. We describe a more sensitive, noninvasive means of obtaining a sample for diagnosis by using an eschar swab specimen from patients infected with Rickettsia parkeri.

Keywords

• Rickettsia
• Swab
• Eschar
• R. parkeri
• diagnostic
• diagnosis