Rickettsia typhi
Species of bacterium / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Rickettsia typhi is a small, aerobic, obligate intracellular, rod shaped gram negative bacterium.[1] It belongs to the typhus group of the Rickettsia genus, along with R. prowazekii.[2] R. typhi has an uncertain history, as it may have long gone shadowed by epidemic typhus (R. prowazekii).[3] This bacterium is recognized as a biocontainment level 2/3 organism.[1][4] R. typhi is a flea-borne disease that is best known to be the causative agent for the disease murine typhus, which is an endemic typhus in humans that is distributed worldwide.[3] As with all rickettsial organisms, R. typhi is a zoonotic agent that causes the disease murine typhus, displaying non-specific mild symptoms of fevers, headaches, pains and rashes.[5][6] There are two cycles of R. typhi transmission from animal reservoirs containing R. typhi to humans: a classic rat-flea-rat cycle that is most well studied and common, and a secondary periodomestic cycle that could involve cats, dogs, opossums, sheep, and their fleas.[7]
R. typhi was once one of the most prevalent causes of rickettsial diseases worldwide, but has since experienced a drop in case reports with the implementation of pest control programs.[8][9][10] The microorganism is concentrated in warmer climate and coastal ports where there is an abundance of rats and their fleas, which are the preferred hosts for the pathogen.[8][9] R. typhi is transmitted between competent flea and mammalian hosts through flea bites and contact with infected feces and tissues.[8][11]
There are several laboratory tests available for the diagnosis of Rickettsial species, with the traditional diagnosis based on serology.[8] However, newer laboratory techniques such as real-time PCR and microimmunofluorescence can be used to identify Rickettsia faster and down to the Rickettsia typhi species level.[9]
Rickettsia typhi | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Bacteria |
Phylum: | Pseudomonadota |
Class: | Alphaproteobacteria |
Order: | Rickettsiales |
Family: | Rickettsiaceae |
Genus: | Rickettsia |
Species group: | Typhus group |
Species: | R. typhi |
Binomial name | |
Rickettsia typhi (Wolbach and Todd, 1920) Philip, 1943 | |