Ricettsia conorii IgG

General information:

The test is a chemiluminescent reaction for the qualitative detection of IgM antibodies against Rickettsia conorii in serum. It is correct to test together with IgG antibodies to stage the infection. Marseille fever is an acute infectious disease caused by Rickettsia konori. It occurs when bitten by infected ticks. The source and carrier of the infection is the dog tick - Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Marseilles fever is the second most common tick-borne disease after Lyme disease. Infection occurs through the bite of a dog tick and, less often, when the body contents of the tick fall through the conjunctiva and when it is crushed with the fingers. Marseille fever is spread mainly in southern Bulgaria and along the Black Sea. This makes it necessary, when bitten by a tick and the appearance of a dark crust at the site of the bite, to examine the antibodies against the causative agent.

How does the disease progress?

A painless seal (dark spot) covered with a dark crust often appears at the site of the bite, which in many cases goes unnoticed. After a latent period of 3 - 7 days, the disease begins with high fever, severe headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and red eyes. After 3-4 days, a characteristic large-spotted rash appears all over the body, including the palms and soles. With the appearance of the rash, the general condition of the patient worsens significantly. The fever lasts for about 10 days, but with proper antibiotic treatment it drops to 3-4 days. Untreated cases can lead to severe damage to the liver, kidneys, nervous system and bleeding. In recent years, the frequency of severe forms has been observed. With timely and adequate antibiotic treatment, healing and full recovery occurs.

Protection against Marseilles fever.

Prevention of the disease is carried out by preventing a tick bite. It is necessary to observe some simple rules - wearing light-colored clothes, long socks and pants when staying in grassy areas, carefully inspecting the body after returning home. If a tick is found, a medical professional should be sought immediately to remove it quickly. Do not attempt to remove the tick yourself, as its body may be torn during removal. Its removal is done by grasping with tweezers and slightly stretching. Antibiotic therapy is also prescribed to the victim. The clinical course is characterized by distinct stages of the disease, with the acute stage passing in about 10-14 days. Although Marseille fever is a mild disease, severe complications involving the nervous system occur in 6-10% of cases, occurring most often as a result of untimely diagnosis of the disease and the use of beta-lactam antibiotics as empiric therapy. At the so-called malignant forms of Marseilles fever can develop jaundice, hemorrhages from the gastrointestinal tract, pneumonia, stupor, coma, orchitis, meningism, retinopathy, neuro-sensory hearing loss or myalgic arthritis. To be classified as a malignant form, 2 or more of the specific clinical symptoms must be observed in the given case, in combination with changes in 2 or more of the following laboratory parameters: thrombocytopenia, increased creatinine, hyponatremia, hypocalcemia, or hypoxemia.

The following panel of laboratory tests is recommended, depending on the stage of the disease, the severity of the clinical course and the accompanying pathology:

• CBC with DBC- normochromic anemia, leukopenia with lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia (35% of patients)
• Increased liver enzymes (in 60% of cases)
• Creatinine – elevated levels (30% of patients)
• Urinalysis - hematuria and proteinuria (55% of patients)
• Fibrinogen - increased values are observed during the acute phase of the disease

Sample required:

Venous blood

Key words:

ricettsia conorii IgG