[New and emerging rickettsial and bartonella infections]

There have been recently reports on over 10 new and resurgent rickettsioses and bartonelloses in different countries, which reflects both socioeconomic processes in society and a higher methodological level of indication and identification of causative agents. In 1991, the author' laboratory, N. F. Gamaleya Research Institute of Experimental Medicine, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, established the etiology of the new rickettsiosis Astrakhan spotted fever. It separated and studied 2 strains of Rickettsia sp. nov. from patients and 8 ones from the carrier the Ixodes tick Rhipicephalus pumilio. It is suggested that the natural focus has transformed to the anthropurgic one due to technogenic environmental pollution. The annual increase in morbidity rates (2000 cases in 1983 to 2000) and its area are a challenge to public health care and medical science. The paper presents data on the new bartonellosis cat-scratch disease (caused by Bartonella henselae) detected not only in Russia. There is also information on tick-borne rickettsiosis, epidemic typhus, and trench fever as resurgent infections.