Rickettsia sp antibodies
Last updated: Thursday, 25, March, 2004
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| Item | Process |
|---|---|
| Specimen | 5-10 mL blood in plain tube. Acute and convalescent samples. |
| Method | IF. |
| Application | Confirmation of a clinical diagnosis of typhus (murine or scrub) or spotted fever (including Queensland tick typhus and Flinders Island spotted fever). |
| Interpretation | The diagnosis of rickettsial infection is confirmed by a four-fold rise in antibody titre between acute and convalescent samples. The traditional Weil-Felix test, based on the pattern of serological reactions to Proteus sp, lacks sensitivity and specificity and is no longer recommended. |
| Reference | Graves SR. Pathology 1998; 30: 147-152. Baird RW et al. J Clin Microbiol 1992; 30: 2896-2602. |