Usefulness of the early molecular diagnosis of Q fever and rickettsial diseases in patients with fever of intermediate duration. / Utilidad del diagnóstico molecular precoz de fiebre Q y rickettsiosis en pacientes con fiebre de duración intermedia.
Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin
; 35(10): 655-658, 2017 Dec.
Article
in En, Es
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-27026285
ABSTRACT
Most cases of fever of intermediate duration (FDI) in Spain are associated with infectious diseases (mainly Q fever and rickettsia infections). In clinical practice, the causal diagnosis of these entities is based on immunodiagnostic techniques, which are of little help in the early stages. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of molecular techniques for the early diagnosis of Q fever and rickettsia diseases in patients with FDI. A PCR method was used to detect the presence of genetic material of Coxiella burnetii and Rickettsia spp. in blood specimens from 271 patients with FDI. The specificity of both techniques is high, allowing diagnosis in cases undiagnosed by specific antibodies detection. These data suggest that the use of molecular techniques, with proper selection of the study specimen, and using appropriate primers is a useful tool in the early diagnosis of the main causes of FDI, especially if serology is negative or inconclusive.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Q Fever
/
Rickettsia Infections
/
DNA, Bacterial
/
Polymerase Chain Reaction
/
Molecular Diagnostic Techniques
/
Fever
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Evaluation_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Screening_studies
Limits:
Humans
Language:
En
/
Es
Journal:
Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin
Journal subject:
DOENCAS TRANSMISSIVEIS
/
MICROBIOLOGIA
Year:
2017
Document type:
Article
Publication country:
ES
/
ESPANHA
/
ESPAÑA
/
SPAIN