Serosurvey among @entity827 XXXX of a new spotted @entity221 group rickettsial strain (Bar29).

@entity1 @entity558 @entity66 @entity827 @entity235 @entity26357 @entity39340 @entity278 @entity221 @entity7587
@entity827 is an @entity66 in Catalonia, Spain. A new spotted @entity221 group (SFG) rickettsial strain (Bar29) of unknown pathogenicity for @entity1 was isolated by our group, in 1996, from the @entity235 brown tick, @entity278 . Interestingly, @entity7587 was not isolated in this study. The aim of the present study was to assess the possible pathogenic role of the Bar29 strain. To this purpose, serum samples from 15 @entity1 with @entity827 were obtained and tested by immunofluorescence for antibodies against four related rickettsial strains ( @entity7587 , @entity26357 , @entity39340 , and Bar29). Eight of the studied sera reacted at high titers with only @entity7587 and Bar29 antigens. For five of the eight sera, the titers against Bar29 were clearly higher than for @entity7587 . Four of these sera were also studied by Western blot immunoassay to confirm a specific response. Two of these sera reacted with the high-molecular-mass specific proteins of Bar29 as well as with the low-molecular-mass region ( @entity558 antigen) whereas their reactions with @entity7587 were located only on bands of the @entity558 . This specific response would support the possible pathogenic role of the Bar29 strain for @entity1 . According to this finding, spotted @entity221 caused by @entity7587 and rickettsial strain Bar29 may be present in our area. The epidemiological implications of spotted @entity221 caused by @entity7587 and by rickettsial strain Bar29 in the Catalonia deserve further studies with isolation and characterization of more rickettsial strains.
