Isolation of Rickettsia rickettsii in Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Outbreak, Panama

Abstract

We report new cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in patients from Kinkantu, Ngäbe-Bugle indigenous comarca, Panama. We isolated Rickettsia rickettsii in cell culture after intraperitoneal inoculation of guinea pigs with tissues from a deceased patient. Our results indicate that Rocky Mountain spotted fever is emerging in this region.

Keywords

• Rickettsia rickettsii spotted fever group
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• human cases
• isolation
• bacteria
• Panama