Short report: isolation and identification of two spotted fever group rickettsial strains from patients in Catalonia, Spain

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2000 Jan;62(1):142-4. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.2000.62.142.

Abstract

Two rickettsial strains, 16B (previously isolated) and FB1, were isolated from blood from patients with Mediterranean spotted fever in Catalonia, Spain. These are the only 2 human rickettsial isolates of the spotted fever group obtained so far in Spain. These strains were identified by the polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis of a fragment of the outer membrane protein A (ompA) gene. The partial ompA sequence was found to be 100% identical with that of Rickettsia conorii (Malish 7 strain) for both strains. These results confirm the presence of R. conorii in Catalonia, despite the fact that in a previous study, no R. conorii were isolated, but a new rickettsial strain of the spotted fever group (Bar29) was isolated from dog ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) in Catalonia. Further studies are necessary to get a better knowledge of the epidemiology of rickettsiae in Catalonia.

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Base Sequence
  • Boutonneuse Fever / epidemiology*
  • DNA Primers / chemistry
  • DNA, Bacterial / chemistry
  • DNA, Bacterial / isolation & purification
  • Electrophoresis, Agar Gel
  • Fluoroimmunoassay
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Rickettsia conorii / classification
  • Rickettsia conorii / genetics
  • Rickettsia conorii / isolation & purification*
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Spain / epidemiology

Substances

  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
  • DNA Primers
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • OMPA outer membrane proteins