AN UPDATE OF EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF RICKETTSIOSIS IN THE MEXICAN TROPIC

Abstract

Background: Rickettsioses are diseases caused by Rickettsia bacteria, transmitted through tick or mite bites, or through contact with feces from lice or fleas. In Mexico, these diseases are a major public health concern, particularly in the tropical states where they appear to be responsible for most cases and the highest mortality rates. In the epidemiology of rickettsiosis, domiciled dogs and rodents play a significant role in maintaining of biological vectors in the vicinity of dwellings and in domestic and companion animals that people live with. It has been determined that some characteristics of households in localities with some degree of social-economic marginalization increase the risk of occurrence of Rickettsia spp. in the occupants. Objective: To present a literature review on the epidemiology of rickettsiosis, delving into studies about the characteristics of the peridomiciliary space and the most common animals that live there involved in the occurrence of rickettsiosis in localities of the Mexican tropic. Methodology: Using keywords related to the objective, a search between November 2022 and April 2023 was carried out on digital sources of information from various types of scientific references. The search results were classified according to eligibility criteria. Results: The information generated in the Mexican tropic on the epidemiology of rickettsiosis involving synanthropic and domestic animals, as well as the characteristics of the peridomiciliary space, is more extensive and numerous than in other regions of the country. Implications: The present review includes part of the epidemiological panorama of endemic rickettsiosis in the Mexican tropics, which is not necessarily attributable to other regions where environmental and socioeconomic conditions can modify the behavior of these diseases. Conclusions: It has been documented that the transmission of zoonoses such as rickettsiosis is influenced by ecological or environmental conditions and the characteristics of anthropized environments such as the peridomicile, which represent factors related to the occurrence of these diseases in the households’ occupants of localities in the Mexican tropics. Several pathogenic species of Rickettsia are found in domesticated dogs and some species of wild and synanthropic rodents, indicating their significant epidemiological role in the tropical regions of Mexico.

Keywords

• bacterias
• garrapatas
• pulgas
• piojos
• rickettsia.