Volume 16, Number 7—July 2010
Research
Human Infection with Rickettsia felis, Kenya
Table 1
Molecular detection results and characteristics of rickettsial DNA preparations in acute-phase serum samples from 6 patients who had fever, Garissa Provincial Hospital, North Eastern Province, Kenya, 2006–2008*
Patient no. | 17-kDa gene sequence | ompB sequence | RF plasmid |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 100% identification with Rickettsia felis | 100% identification with R. felis | 100% identification with R. felis |
2 | 100% identification with R. felis | – | – |
3 | – | – | – |
4 | – | 100% identification with R. felis | – |
5 | – | – | – |
6 | 100% identification with R. felis | – | – |
*ompB, outer membrane protein B gene. All samples were positive by Rick17 PCR and Rfelis qPCR and negative by Trick quantitative PCR (qPCR), RF plasmid, and RFδ plasmid. Rick17 qPCR is specific for the 17-kDa antigen gene of Rickettsia species; Trick qPCR is specific for a portion of ompB that is common to tick-borne rickettsiae; Rfelis qPCR is specific for a portion of ompB that is common to R. felis.