The use of eschar swabs for the diagnosis of African tick-bite fever

Cristina Socolovschi; Aurélie Renvoisé; Philippe Brouqui; Philippe Parola; Didier Raoult

doi:10.1016/j.ttbdis.2012.10.018

The use of eschar swabs for the diagnosis of African tick-bite fever

Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2012 Dec;3(5-6):361-3. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2012.10.018. Epub 2012 Nov 7.

Authors

Cristina Socolovschi¹, Aurélie Renvoisé, Philippe Brouqui, Philippe Parola, Didier Raoult

Affiliation

¹ Aix Marseille Université, Unité de Recherche en Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, WHO Collaborative Center for Rickettsioses and Other Arthropod Borne Bacterial Diseases, 27 bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille Cedex 5, France.

PMID: 23141102
DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2012.10.018

Abstract

African tick-bite fever (ATBF) caused by Rickettsia africae is a frequent cause of fever in returned travelers. Here, we used eschar swabs and/or eschar crust samples for the molecular diagnosis of ATBF in returned travelers. In 4 of 5 patients returning from South Africa, including 3 with negative serology, R. africae was identified by molecular tools targeting 2 different genes. The findings of this study highlight the usefulness of eschar swabs and/or eschar crust samples for the diagnosis of R. africae infection.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Aged
Animals
Bacteriological Techniques / methods*
Female
Humans
Insect Bites and Stings / microbiology*
Male
Middle Aged
Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / methods
Rickettsia / isolation & purification*
Rickettsia Infections / diagnosis*
South Africa
Tick-Borne Diseases / diagnosis*
Travel
Travel Medicine / methods