Is Rickettsia Rickettsii an agent of bioterrorism?

rickettsii, and Coxiella burnetii pose serious problems and are currently considered bioterrorism agents, several other species could cause havoc once intentionally released into human populations.

What are two diseases caused by Rickettsia?

Rickettsia species cause Rocky Mountain spotted fever, rickettsialpox, other spotted fevers, epidemic typhus, and murine typhus. Orientia (formerly Rickettsia) tsutsugamushi causes scrub typhus.

What kills Rickettsia Rickettsii?

Rickettsial infections First-line therapy for R. conorii infection is similar to that of other Rickettsia infections: doxycycline (200 mg/day) or tetracycline (25 mg/kg per day). Other effective regimens are chloramphenicol (2 g/day for 7–10 days) or ciprofloxacin (1.5 g/day for 5–7 days).

Does Rickettsia cause meningitis?

Rickettsial infections can affect many organs, including the central nervous system (CNS) [4]. The most common neurological manifestations reported in rickettsial infections include meningitis, encephalitis, and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis [5].

Which is the vector of Rickettsia Rickettsii?

Although many genera and species of ixodid ticks are naturally infected with rickettsiae, Dermacentor andersoni and D. variabilis are the major vectors of R. rickettsii.

Can Rocky Mountain spotted fever be asymptomatic?

Clinical Illness – Most individuals that become infected are asymptomatic. If disease develops, it can range from mild febrile illness to severe illness and even death. Commonly reported symptoms are non-specific and include acute onset of fever, headache, malaise, and myalgia.

How do ticks get infected with Rickettsia?

Most rickettsial organisms are transmitted by the bites or infectious fluids (such as feces) inoculated into the skins from ectoparasites such as fleas, lice, mites, and ticks. Inhaling bacteria or inoculating conjunctiva with infectious material may also result in infection.

Where is Rickettsia Prowazekii most likely found?

prowazekii, the southern flying squirrel, occurs in eastern North America, including the U.S. and southern Canada. Zoonotic human cases have, to date, been reported only from the U.S. R.

Is typhus an epidemic?

Epidemic typhus is spread to people through contact with infected body lice. Though epidemic typhus was responsible for millions of deaths in previous centuries, it is now considered a rare disease.

How does Rickettsia Rickettsii obtain energy?

As obligate intracellular parasites, Rickettsial species can only replicate in host cells because they cannot produce their own ATP and must derive this energy source from the host cells which they infect.