Article
Microbiology
Choon-Mee Kim, Dong-Min Kim, Na Ra Yun
Summary: This study evaluated the accuracy of different antibody tests for scrub typhus, revealing that the sensitivity and specificity of each test were unsatisfactory. There is an urgent need to develop more highly sensitive and specific tests.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Parasitology
Angel Herrera-Mares, Carmen Guzman-Cornejo, Armando Ulloa-Garcia, Alex Cordoba-Aguilar, Maria Carolina Silva-de la Fuente, Gerardo Suzan
Summary: There is a need to understand the occurrence of pathogens, vectors, and hosts in order to predict zoonotic outbreaks. This systematic review focuses on the occurrence and distribution of mites as potential disease vectors, revealing that most research has been conducted in Asia, particularly on the transmission of Orientia tsutsugamushi. The study highlights the lack of co-infections in mites compared to other Acari groups like ticks.
Review
Microbiology
Cristoforo Guccione, Claudia Colomba, Manlio Tolomeo, Marcello Trizzino, Chiara Iaria, Antonio Cascio
Summary: There is no updated information on the spread of Rickettsiales in Italy. A study identified 36 species of microorganisms belonging to Rickettsiales, with certain species found in human tissues. Pathologies caused by microorganisms transmissible by bloodsucking arthropods in humans are not well characterized.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Panita Looareesuwan, Kristen Aiemjoy, Sakarn Charoensakulchai, Janjira Thaipadungpanit, Jantana Wongsantichon, Ampai Tanganuchitcharnchai, Artharee Rungrojn, Stuart D. Blacksell, Wasin Matsee
Summary: This article presents a unique case of scrub typhus in a child traveller, discussing the clinical presentation, diagnostic challenges, laboratory findings, and antibody dynamics.
JOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joo-Hee Hwang, Yeon-Hee Han, M. D. Tazikur Rahman, Chang-Seop Lee
Summary: This study found that dry mouth reported by patients with scrub typhus may be caused by insufficient saliva excretion from the salivary glands into the oral cavity, as indicated by salivary scintigraphy. After treatment, there was a significant increase in radioactivity in the oral cavity and an increase in ejection fraction of the parotid glands.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Derek J. J. Fisher, Paul A. A. Beare
Summary: The ability to genetically manipulate pathogens is crucial for understanding host-pathogen interactions and developing treatment strategies. Methods for modifying obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens have been limited, but significant progress has been made in the past few decades. This review highlights recent genetic achievements and developments for several important pathogens and discusses future research directions. Overall, the future looks promising for unraveling the molecular pathogenic mechanisms of these significant pathogens.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Haley E. Adcox, Amanda L. Hatke, Shelby E. Andersen, Sarika Gupta, Nathan B. Otto, Mary M. Weber, Richard T. Marconi, Jason A. Carlyon
Summary: Orientia tsutsugamushi is an intracellular pathogen causing scrub typhus, with Ank13 being a key effector that enters the nucleus using RaDAR nuclear import mechanism. Ank13 dysregulates the expression of over 2,000 host genes, particularly those involved in transcriptional control and the inflammatory response, through a combination of nucleotropism and F-box-dependent mechanisms. This effector plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of scrub typhus by reprogramming host cell transcription.
Review
Microbiology
Hanna Moniuszko, Konrad Wojnarowski, Paulina Cholewinska
Summary: Chiggers of the family Trombiculidae can carry various bacterial pathogens and spread them among different hosts. A total of 100 chigger species from 28 genera have been found to be associated with 31 bacterial taxa. However, this is only a fraction of the potential associations, and there is a high probability of discovering more cases in the future.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Rashi Dixit, Natarajan Gopalan, Sujit Kumar Behera
Summary: Rickettsioses, caused by Rickettsia and Orientia, are significant zoonotic diseases of global public health concern. Isothermal amplification technology, with its accuracy, speed, and cost-effectiveness, is gaining popularity for detection of zoonotic pathogens such as Rickettsia and Orientia. Diagnosis of Rickettsioses is challenging due to nonspecific clinical presentation. Certain isothermal amplification assays have shown high efficiency in diagnosing vector-borne diseases.
DIAGNOSTIC MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Ju Jiang, Christina M. Farris, Kenneth B. Yeh, Allen L. Richards
Summary: This paper highlights the importance of using serological and molecular assays to support collaborative epidemiological studies to assess risk of rickettsial disease outbreaks among international partner countries. Cooperative research projects conducted between different countries have enhanced the capability and capacity of research institutes to estimate the risk of rickettsial diseases.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Anne-Marie L. Ross, John Stokes, Claire E. Cross, Navatha Alugubelly, Andrea S. Varela-Stokes
Summary: Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis (SFR), caused by SFGR, is challenging to diagnose. Guinea pig serves as a valuable model for studying SFR due to its immune system similarity to humans. By optimizing the qPCR assays, SFGR can be accurately detected in in vivo studies.
Review
Microbiology
Carlos Ramiro Silva-Ramos, Alvaro Faccini-Martinez, Cristian Serna-Rivera, Salim Mattar, Marylin Hidalgo
Summary: Tropical febrile illnesses, mainly zoonotic, are an important cause of clinical attention in Colombia. The Colombian surveillance system does not monitor several etiologies of these illnesses, despite their presence in different regions of the country. Including these etiologies in the mandatory notification system is important for the public health of Colombia.
Article
Microbiology
Tal Azagi, B. J. A. Hoeve-Bakker, Mark Jonker, Jeroen H. Roelfsema, Hein Sprong, Karen Kerkhof
Summary: This study evaluated the analytical specificity, sensitivity, and robustness of qPCR assays for detecting tick-borne pathogens in human samples. The results showed that the qPCRs performed well and were potentially suitable for human diagnostics. However, further clinical validation and independent confirmation are needed.
Article
Immunology
Chih-Chi Liao, Chih-Hsuan Tsai, Huei-Ru Lo, Pey-Ru Lin, Chang-Chi Lin, Yu-Chan Chao
Summary: Scrub typhus is a fatal epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region, often misdiagnosed, and the lack of accurate detection methods poses a global health threat. Researchers successfully expressed O. tsutsugamushi antigens on insect cell surfaces and developed a cell-based ELISA detection method with high accuracy.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Kunlun Jiang, Jingrui Wu, Yuwei Qiu, Yun Young Go, Kiwon Ban, Hyun June Park, Jung-Hoon Lee
Summary: The PPT-cPCR method is a fast, sensitive, inexpensive, and simple nucleic acid detection technique that allows for visual detection of DNA targets and easy access to quantitative information using a spectrophotometer and a smartphone.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2021)