Prevalence of Antibodies to Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae in Dogs from Southeastern Australia
- 1 August 1991
- journal article
- Published by American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- Vol. 45 (2) , 243-248
- https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.1991.45.243
Abstract
Recent epidemiologic data suggests that Rickettsia australis, the cause of Queensland tick typhus, is present in southeastern Australia. In order to further confirm this observation, a canine serosurvey was undertaken to determine if naturally occurring antibodies were present in pet and farm dogs from this newly-recognized endemic area. Thirty-five of 312 surveyed dogs (11.2%) had indirect immunofluorescent antibody titers of 1:64 or greater against R. australis antigen. Positive control sera were obtained from two dogs experimentally inoculated with R. australis. One of these dogs was serially sampled and a rickettsemia could not be documented. None of 26 control sera obtained from dogs from South Australia, New Zealand, western Victoria, or North Carolina had antibody titers ≥ 1:64. These results suggest that spotted fever group rickettsiae are present in Southeastern Australia.Keywords
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