Rickettsia
A member of a group of microorganisms that (like viruses) require other living cells for growth but (like bacteria) use oxygen, have metabolic enzymes and cell walls, and are susceptible to antibiotics. Rickettsiae cause a series of diseases named for the American pathologist Howard Ricketts who discovered that ticks spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever and then isolated the microorganism responsible for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, typhus, trench fever and other similar conditions from the infecting insects. While in Mexico in 1910 studying a typhus epidemic, Ricketts contracted the disease and died at age 39.
See also Rickettsial diseases.
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- Rickettsial diseases
epidemic typhus, Brill-Zinsser disease, murine (endemic) typhus, and scrub typhus; (2) spotted fever-Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Eastern tick-borne rickettsioses, and rickettsialpox; (3) Q fever; and (4) trench fever.
- Rickettsialpox
A mild infectious disease first observed in New York City that is caused by Rickettsia akari and is transmitted from its mouse host by chigger or adult mite bites. Features include fever, a dark spot that becomes a small ulcer at the site of the bite, swollen glands (satellite lymphadenopathy) near the site of the […]
- Rickettsioses
The infectious diseases caused by the rickettsiae. See Rickettsial diseases.
- Rickettsioses of the eastern hemisphere, tick-born
There are 3 known diseases caused by infection with rickettsial agents. They are North Asian tick-borne rickettsiosis, Queensland tick typhus, and African tick typhus (fievre boutonneuse).
- Rickettsiosis, North Asian tick-borne
One of the tick-borne rickettsial diseases of the eastern hemisphere, similar to but less severe than Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Symptoms include fever, a small ulcer (eschar) at the site of the tick bite, swollen glands near the site of the bite (satellite lymphadenopathy), and a red, raised (maculopapular) rash.