Evaluating the Surveillance System for Spotted Fever in Brazil Using Machine-Learning Techniques.

This work analyses the performance of the Brazilian spotted fever (SF) surveillance system in diagnosing and confirming suspected cases in the state of Rio de Janeiro (RJ), from 2007 to 2016 (July) using machine-learning techniques. Of the 890 cases reported to the Disease Notification Information System (SINAN), 11.7% were confirmed as SF, 2.9% as dengue, 1.6% as leptospirosis, and 0.7% as tick bite allergy, with the remainder being diagnosed as other categories (10.5%) or unspecified (72.7%). This study confirms the existence of obstacles in the diagnostic classification of suspected cases of SF by clinical signs and symptoms. Unlike man-capybara contact (1.7% of cases), man-tick contact (71.2%) represents an important risk indicator for SF. The analysis of decision trees highlights some clinical symptoms related to SF patient death or cure, such as: respiratory distress, convulsion, shock, petechiae, coma, icterus, and diarrhea. Moreover, cartographic techniques document patient transit between RJ and bordering states and within RJ itself. This work recommends some changes to SINAN that would provide a greater understanding of the dynamics of SF and serve as a model for other endemic areas in Brazil.

Comparative growth of spotted fever group Rickettsia spp. strains in Vero cells.

In Brazil, the spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia rickettsii and Rickettsia parkeri related species are the etiological agents of spotted fever rickettsiosis. However, the SFG, Rickettsia rhipicephali, that infects humans, has never been reported. The study of growth dynamics can be useful for understanding the infective and invasive capacity of these pathogens. Here, the growth rates of the Brazilian isolates R. rickettsii str. Taiaçu, R. parkeri str. At#24, and R. rhipicephali HJ#5, were evaluated in Vero cells by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. R. rhipicephali showed different kinetic growth compared to R. rickettsii and R. parkeri.

Comparative growth of spotted fever group Rickettsia spp. strains in Vero cells

In Brazil, the spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia rickettsii and Rickettsia parkeri related species are the etiological agents of spotted fever rickettsiosis. However, the SFG, Rickettsia rhipicephali, that infects humans, has never been reported. The study of growth dynamics can be useful for understanding the infective and invasive capacity of these pathogens. Here, the growth rates of the Brazilian isolates R. rickettsii str. Taiaçu, R. parkeri str. At#24, and R. rhipicephali HJ#5, were evaluated in Vero cells by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. R. rhipicephali showed different kinetic growth compared to R. rickettsii and R. parkeri.