Changes in the Seroprevalence of Tick-Borne Rickettsia and Ehrlichia Among Soldiers-Fort Liberty, North Carolina, 1991-2019.

We obtained samples from the Department of Defense Serum Repository from soldiers who were stationed at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, between 1991 and 2019 to assess temporal trends in tick-borne rickettsiosis and ehrlichiosis. Serological evidence of infection was common, with nearly 1 in 5 (18.9%) demonstrating antibodies. We observed significant decreases in Rickettsia seroprevalence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.42 [95% CI, .27-.65], P = .0001) while over the same period Ehrlichia seroprevalence, albeit less common, nearly doubled (aOR, 3.61 [95% CI, 1.10-13.99], P = .048). The increase in Ehrlichia seroprevalence likely reflects increased transmission resulting from the expanding geographic range of the lone star tick.

Contribution of classical complement activation and IgM to the control of Rickettsia infection.

Pathogenic Rickettsia are obligate intracellular bacteria and the etiologic agents of many life-threatening infectious diseases. Due to the serious nature of these infections, it is imperative to both identify the responsive immune sensory pathways and understand the associated immune mechanisms that restrict Rickettsia proliferation. Previous studies have demonstrated that the mammalian complement system is both activated during Rickettsia infection and contributes to the immune response to infection. To further define this component of the mammalian anti-Rickettsia immune response, we sought to identify the mechanism(s) of complement activation during Rickettsia infection. We have employed a series of in vitro and in vivo models of infection to investigate the role of the classical complement activation pathway during Rickettsia infection. Depletion or elimination of complement activity demonstrates that both C1q and pre-existing IgM contribute to complement activation; thus implicating the classical complement system in Rickettsia-mediated complement activation. Elimination of the classical complement pathway from mice increases susceptibility to R. australis infection with both increased bacterial loads in multiple tissues and decreased immune activation markers. This study highlights the role of the classical complement pathway in immunity against Rickettsia and implicates resident Rickettsia-responsive IgM in the response to infection.

Rickettsia conorii O antigen is the target of bactericidal Weil-Felix antibodies.

Rickettsial diseases have long been diagnosed with serum antibodies cross-reactive against Proteus vulgaris (Weil-Felix reaction). Although Weil-Felix antibodies are associated with the development of immunity, their rickettsial target and contribution to disease pathogenesis are not established. Here, we developed a transposon for insertional mutagenesis of Rickettsia conorii, isolating variants defective for replication in cultured cells and in spotted fever pathogenesis. Mutations in the polysaccharide synthesis operon (pso) abolish lipopolysaccharide O-antigen synthesis and Weil-Felix serology and alter outer-membrane protein assembly. Unlike wild-type R. conorii, pso mutants cannot elicit bactericidal antibodies that bind O antigen. The pso operon is conserved among rickettsial pathogens, suggesting that bactericidal antibodies targeting O antigen may generate universal immunity that could be exploited to develop vaccines against rickettsial diseases.

Antibody Titers Reactive With Rickettsia rickettsii in Blood Donors and Implications for Surveillance of Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Since 2000, the reported prevalence of tick-borne spotted fever rickettsiosis has increased considerably. We compared the level of antibody reactivity among healthy blood donors from 2 widely separated regions of the United States and evaluated the impact of antibody prevalence on public health surveillance in one of these regions. METHODS: Donor serum samples were evaluated by indirect immunofluorescence antibody assay to identify immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies reactive with Rickettsia rickettsii. The Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH) analyzed characteristics of cases from 2016 surveillance data to evaluate the utility of laboratory surveillance for case assessment. RESULTS: Of the Georgia donors (n = 1493), 11.1% demonstrated antibody titers reactive with R. rickettsii at titers ≥64, whereas 6.3% of donors from Oregon and Washington (n = 1511) were seropositive. Most seropositive donors had a titer of 64; only 3.1% (n = 93) of all donors had titers ≥128. During 2016, GDPH interviewed 243 seropositive case patients; only 28% (n = 69) met inclusion criteria in the national case definition for spotted fever rickettsiosis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that a single IgG antibody titer is an unreliable measure of diagnosis and could inaccurately affect surveillance estimates that define magnitude and clinical characteristics of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other spotted fever rickettsioses.

Serologic evidence of rickettsial diseases associated with tick bites in workers of urban veterinary clinics.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Rickettsial and other zoonotic diseases are a latent risk for workers of veterinary clinics. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and the associated risk factors of parasitosis caused by Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and to estimate the seroprevalence of rickettsial diseases in workers of urban veterinary clinics of Juárez city, México. METHODS: The participants of the study were recruited from 63 private veterinary clinics and hospitals. The serological analysis of the blood samples collected was carried out using immunofluorescence assay (IFA). The statistical analysis for prevalences, risk factors, and correlation was performed with the SAS program. RESULTS: In total, 167 veterinary workers were included in the study. The prevalence of tick bites was 40% (67/167), and the risk factors associated with the occurrence of bites included the activities performed in the clinic and the number of labour hours spent per week. About 21% (35/167) of participants were seropositive to R. rickettsii, 28% (47/167) to Ehrlichia chaffeensis, and 24% (40/167) to Anaplasma phagocytophilum. A correlation was observed between: the number of workers in the clinics and the proportion of tick bites (r2 = 0.865); the prevalence of bites and the seropositivity of the participants to at least one pathogen (r2 = 0.924); and the number of bites per individual and infection to pathogens (r2 = 0.838). INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Workers in urban veterinary clinics are highly exposed to tick bites and, therefore, to the diseases they transmit. Hence, it is important to implement prevention measures and perform constant monitoring of these diseases.

The Cat Flea (Ctenocephalides felis) Immune Deficiency Signaling Pathway Regulates Rickettsia typhi Infection.

Rickettsia species are obligate intracellular bacteria with both conserved and lineage-specific strategies for invading and surviving within eukaryotic cells. One variable component of Rickettsia biology involves arthropod vectors: for instance, typhus group rickettsiae are principally vectored by insects (i.e., lice and fleas), whereas spotted fever group rickettsiae are exclusively vectored by ticks. For flea-borne Rickettsia typhi, the etiological agent of murine typhus, research on vertebrate host biology is facilitated using cell lines and animal models. However, due to the lack of any stable flea cell line or a published flea genome sequence, little is known regarding R. typhi biology in flea vectors that, importantly, do not suffer lethality due to R. typhi infection. To address if fleas combat rickettsial infection, we characterized the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) innate immune response to R. typhi Initially, we determined that R. typhi infects Drosophila cells and increases antimicrobial peptide (AMP) gene expression, indicating immune pathway activation. While bioinformatics analysis of the C. felis transcriptome identified homologs to all of the Drosophila immune deficiency (IMD) and Toll pathway components, an AMP gene expression profile in Drosophila cells indicated IMD pathway activation upon rickettsial infection. Accordingly, we assessed R. typhi-mediated flea IMD pathway activation in vivo using small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown. Knockdown of Relish and Imd increased R. typhi infection levels, implicating the IMD pathway as a critical regulator of R. typhi burden in C. felis These data suggest that targeting the IMD pathway could minimize the spread of R. typhi, and potentially other human pathogens, vectored by fleas.

Immune response against rickettsiae: lessons from murine infection models.

Rickettsiae are small intracellular bacteria that can cause life-threatening febrile diseases. Rickettsioses occur worldwide with increasing incidence. Therefore, a vaccine is highly desired. A prerequisite for the development of a vaccine is the knowledge of the immune response against these bacteria, in particular protective immunity. In recent years murine models of rickettsial infections have been established, and the study of immune response against rickettsiae in mice provided many new insights into protective and pathological immune reactions. This review summarizes the current knowledge about immune mechanisms in protection and pathology in rickettsial infections.

Two mice models for transferability of zoonotic bacteria via tick vector.

Spotted fever and typhus-related diseases caused by rickettsiae, Lyme borreliosis induced by spirochetes from Borrelia burgdorferii sensu lato complex, and Q fever evoked by Coxiella burnetii, are important zoonoses occurring worldwide. In order to study the pathogenesis of these infections, the efficacy of vaccines from the perspective of protection against the pathogens, pathogen - pathogen interactions during co-infections or pathogen-vector-host interrelationship, a suitable animal model should be established. In this study, we evaluated two mouse models - the C3H/N and Balb/c strains for susceptibility to infection and ability to transmit the pathogens via tick vector and to reveal the potential interactions between various bacterial tick-borne agents. Our results indicated that the C3H/N and Balb/c mice are well-accepted models of B. afzelii infection. However, they are not suitable for interaction studies with R. helvetica since the animals did not acquire rickettsiemia and do not transmit Rickettsia sp. to feeding ticks.

Enhanced Expression of T-Cell Immunoglobulin and Mucin Domain Protein 3 in Endothelial Cells Facilitates Intracellular Killing of Rickettsia heilongjiangensis.

Rickettsia heilongjiangensis is the pathogen of Far eastern spotted fever, and T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain protein 3 (Tim-3) is expressed in human vascular endothelial cells, the major target cells of rickettsiae. In the present study, we investigated the effects of altered Tim-3 expression in vivo in mice and in vitro in human endothelial cells, on day 3 after R. heilongjiangensis infection. Compared with corresponding controls, rickettsial burdens both in vivo and in vitro were significantly higher with blocked Tim-3 signaling or silenced Tim-3 and significantly lower with overexpressed Tim-3. Additionally, the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and interferon γ in endothelial cells with blocked Tim-3 signaling or silenced Tim-3 was significantly lower, while the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, interferon γ, and tumor necrosis factor α in transgenic mice with Tim-3 overexpression was significantly higher. These results reveal that enhanced Tim-3 expression facilitates intracellular rickettsial killing in a nitric oxide-dependent manner in endothelial cells during the early phase of rickettsial infection.

MyD88 Mediates Instructive Signaling in Dendritic Cells and Protective Inflammatory Response during Rickettsial Infection.

Spotted fever group rickettsiae cause potentially life-threatening infections throughout the world. Several members of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family are involved in host response to rickettsiae, and yet the mechanisms by which these TLRs mediate host immunity remain incompletely understood. In the present study, we found that host susceptibility of MyD88(-/-)mice to infection with Rickettsia conorii or Rickettsia australis was significantly greater than in wild-type (WT) mice, in association with severely impaired bacterial clearance in vivo R. australis-infected MyD88(-/-)mice showed significantly lower expression levels of gamma interferon (IFN-γ), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1ß, accompanied by significantly fewer inflammatory infiltrates of macrophages and neutrophils in infected tissues, than WT mice. The serum levels of IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-6, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor were significantly reduced, while monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, macrophage inflammatory protein 1α, and RANTES were significantly increased in infected MyD88(-/-)mice compared to WT mice. Strikingly, R. australis infection was incapable of promoting increased expression of MHC-II(high)and production of IL-12p40 in MyD88(-/-)bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) compared to WT BMDCs, although costimulatory molecules were upregulated in both types of BMDCs. Furthermore, the secretion levels of IL-1ß by Rickettsia-infected BMDCs and in the sera of infected mice were significantly reduced in MyD88(-/-)mice compared to WT controls, suggesting that in vitro and in vivo production of IL-1ß is MyD88 dependent. Taken together, our results suggest that MyD88 signaling mediates instructive signals in DCs and secretion of IL-1ß and type 1 immune cytokines, which may account for the protective inflammatory response during rickettsial infection.

High seroprevalence of antibodies against spotted fever and scrub typhus bacteria in patients with febrile Illness, Kenya.

Serum samples from patients in Kenya with febrile illnesses were screened for antibodies against bacteria that cause spotted fever, typhus, and scrub typhus. Seroprevalence was 10% for spotted fever group, <1% for typhus group, and 5% for scrub typhus group. Results should help clinicians expand their list of differential diagnoses for undifferentiated fevers.

Microarray of surface-exposed proteins of Rickettsia heilongjiangensis for serodiagnosis of Far-eastern spotted fever.

BACKGROUND: Far-eastern spotted fever (FESF) is an important emerging infectious disease in Northeast Asia. The laboratory diagnosis of FESF in hospitals is mainly based on serological methods. However, these methods need to cultivate rickettsial cells as diagnostic antigens, which is both burdensome and dangerous. METHODS: Eleven surface-exposed proteins (SEPs) were identified in our previous study and their recombinant proteins (rSEPs) fabricated on a microarray were serologically analyzed with seventeen paired sera from patients suffered from FESF in this study. RESULTS: All the rSEPs showed sensitivities of between 53% and 82% to acute-phase sera and of between 65% and 82% to convalescent-phase sera, and all the rSEPs except rRplA showed specificities of between 80% and 95%. The combination assay of two, three, or four of the four rSEPs (rOmpA-2, rOmpB-3, rRpsB, and rSdhB) showed better sensitivities of between 76% and 94% to the acute-phase sera or between 82% and 100% to the convalescent-phase sera and acceptable specificities of between 75% and 90%. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the four rSEPs are more likely candidate antigens for serological diagnosis of FESF.

Rickettsial infection among military personnel deployed in Northern Sri Lanka.

BACKGROUND: Military personnel deployed in field actvities report on frequent tick bites. Therefore they may run the risk of exposure to rickettsial organisms. METHODS: In order to assess the risk of exposure to rickettsial organisms, two groups of military personnel who were deployed in field activities of Nothern Sri Lanka were investigated. The first group was studied in order to assess the sero-prevalence of rickettsioses and consisted of soldiers who were admitted following injuries during field activities. The second group was studied to identify the incidence of acute rickettsioses during their acute febrile presentations. They were tested with IFA-IgG against spotted fever group rickettsioses (SFG), scrub typhus (ST) and murine typhus. RESULTS: In the first group, 48/57 (84%) military personnel had serological evidence of exposure to rickettsioses (in all, IFA-IgG titer ≥ 1:128): 33/50 (66%) to SFG rickettsioses, 1/50 (2%) to ST and 14/50 (28%) had mixed titers for both (in all, titers were higher for SFG). While all of them were in military uniform most of the time and frequently slept on scrub land, 35/57 (61.4%) had never used insect repellents and none were on doxycycline prophylaxis. 48/57 (84%) had experienced tick bites during field activity. In the second group, there were 49 who presented with acute febrile illness with a mean duration of 8.5 days (SD 3.2). 33/49 (67.3%) were serologically positive for acute rickettsioses (IgG ≥1:256); 26 (79%) due to ST and 7 (21%) due to SFG rickettsioses, CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to rickettsial disease was common among soldiers who were deployed in Northern Sri Lanka. Scrub typhus was the predominent species accounting for acute febrile illness. Further studies are needed to understand the reasons for very high sero-prevalence for SFG rickettsioses with no anticedent febrile illness. Use of preventive measures was not satisfactory. The high sero-prevelence of SFG rickettsioses is likely to interfere with serological diagnosis of acute SFG rickettsioses in this population.

Human infection with Rickettsia sibirica mongolitimonae, Spain, 2007-2011.

Human infection with Rickettsia sibirica mongolitimonae was initially reported in 1996, and reports of a total of 18 cases have been published. We describe 6 additional cases that occurred in the Mediterranean coast region of Spain during 2007-2011. Clinicians should consider this infection in patients who have traveled to this area.

Rickettsia slovaca infection in humans, Portugal.

Fifteen years after the initial detection of Rickettsia slovaca in ticks in Portugal, 3 autochthonous cases of R. slovaca infection were diagnosed in humans. All patients had an eschar on the scalp and lymphadenopathy; 2 patients had facial edema. R. slovaca infection was confirmed by serologic testing, culture, and PCR.

[The immune structure against q fever and tick-bite spotted fever group rickettsioses in the population and domestic animals of the Republic of Guinea].

The circulation of the rickettsiae R.africae and C.brunetii, the causative agents of African tick-bite spotted fever and Q fever, was first ascertained throughout the territory of the Republic of Guinea. The immune stratum against R.africae among the population varied 1.1 to 25.4% or 10.6+/-0.7% on average and that among the livestock did 0.6 to 18.8% or 7.6+/-0.6% on average. The proportion of sera to C,brunettii in the population was in the rage from 0.8 to 10.5% or 2.4+/-0.3% on average; that in livestock was 3.2 to 18.7% or 8.0+/-0.6% on average. However, many aspects of the circulation of rickettsiae, the pathology and importance of these fevers in the structure of morbidity in Guinea remain still unclarified and call for further investigations, by applying the current laboratory diagnostic tests for rickettsiosial diseases.

[Human granulocytic anaplasmosis and its concurrence with other tick-borne infections in the Republic of Altai].

Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) cases occur everywhere in the Republic of Altai. Anaplasma phagocytophilum is transmitted to humans by at least three genera of ticks: Ixodes, Dermacentor, and Haemaphysalis. The risk of the infection is higher in the northern part of the republic. Most patients with HGA show serologic evidence of coinfection with North Asian tick typhus and other tick-borne diseases. The high probability of HGA concurrent with other tick-borne infections requires an integrated approach to preventing these diseases in the Republic of Altai.

Rickettsia felis infection in febrile patients, western Kenya, 2007-2010.

To determine previous exposure and incidence of rickettsial infections in western Kenya during 2007-2010, we conducted hospital-based surveillance. Antibodies against rickettsiae were detected in 57.4% of previously collected serum samples. In a 2008-2010 prospective study, Rickettsia felis DNA was 2.2× more likely to be detected in febrile than in afebrile persons.