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Seroprevalence of Antibodies against Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia among Dogs and Humans in Okinawa, Japan
Author(s) -
Satoh Hiroshi,
Tsuneki Akemi,
Inokuma Hisashi,
Kumazawa Norichika,
Jahana Yoshihide,
Kiyuuna Tsuyoshi,
Okabayashi Tamaki,
Muramatsu Yasukazu,
Ueno Hiroshi,
Morita Chiharu
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2001.tb01262.x
Subject(s) - seroprevalence , spotted fever , biology , antibody , rickettsia , veterinary medicine , indirect immunofluorescence , virology , rickettsiosis , immunology , serology , medicine , virus
We evaluated serum antibodies against Rickettsia japonica in 517 dogs (430 stray dogs and 87 pet dogs) and 164 humans in Okinawa, Japan, by indirect immunofluorescence assay. The seropositive rate in stray dogs was significantly higher than that in pet dogs (30.7 versus 4.6%, P <0.01). This high prevalence rate is attributed to the understandably frequent environmental exposure of stray dogs to tick infestation. Human samples obtained from Okinawa and Sapporo also showed a significant difference in seropositive antibody percentages (45.1 and 12.0%, respectively, P <0.01). This result suggests that there has been preexposure to spotted fever group rickettsia in humans in Okinawa.