R. helvetica in Patient with Meningitis | CDC EID

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Volume 16, Number 3–March 2010
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Rickettsia helvetica in Patient with Meningitis, Sweden, 2006
Kenneth Nilsson, Karin Elfving, and Carl Påhlson
Author affiliations: Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden (K. Nilsson, K. Elfving,); Mälardalens University, Eskilstuna, Sweden (C. Påhlson); Center of Clinical Research Dalarna, Falun, Sweden (K. Nilsson); and Falu Hospital, Falun (K. Nilsson, K. Elfving)

Suggested citation for this article

Abstract
Pathogenicity of Rickettsia helvetica is relatively unknown. We isolated a spotted fever group rickettsial organism from a patient with subacute meningitis. Nucleotide sequences of the 16S rRNA, ompB, and 17kDa genes identified the isolate as R. helvetica. This organism may be associated with serious infections such as central nervous system disorders.

Rickettsia helvetica, a member of the spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR), has been isolated from Ixodes ricinus ticks in many European and Asian countries. Although I. ricinus ticks are the main vector and natural reservoir, the organism has recently been found in Dermacentor reticulates ticks (1–5). Serosurveys have found antibodies reactive to R. helvetica in 1.9%–12.5% of the population in Lao People's Democratic Republic, France, Italy, Denmark, and Sweden (1,4,6–8). The organism has mainly been considered nonpathogenic; several patients with a serologic diagnosis have had mild, self-limited disease with associated fever, headache, and myalgia. However, a more severe clinical disease has been demonstrated (1,9).

It is well known that Q fever and the rickettsial diseases typhus and spotted fever may cause central nervous system infection and that, of the SFGR, R. rickettsii, R. conorii, and R. japonica have a documented association with meningitis (10,11). We document a case of subacute meningitis caused by R. helvetica. The study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee, Uppsala University, Sweden.

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Suggested Citation for this Article
Elfving K, Påhlson C, Nilsson K. Rickettsia helvetica in patient with meningitis, Sweden, 2006. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2010 Mar [date cited]. http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/16/3/490.htm

DOI: 10.3201/eid1603.090184