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Rickettsioses in Australia.

Stephen Graves¹, John Stenos

¹Director, Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory, Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Stephen.graves@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

|June 23, 2009

Summary

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Area of Science:

Medical Entomology
Infectious Diseases
Veterinary Parasitology

Background:

Rickettsial diseases pose a significant public health concern in Australia.
Understanding the historical discovery and geographical distribution of these pathogens is crucial for effective disease control.

Purpose of the Study:

To chronologically outline the discovery of rickettsial diseases in Australia.
To map the geographical distribution of identified rickettsial pathogens across Australia.
To identify known and potential rickettsial threats, including zoonotic and non-human pathogens.

Main Methods:

Literature review of historical records and scientific publications.
Compilation of data on the discovery dates and locations of rickettsial diseases.
Classification of identified rickettsiae based on species, pathogenicity, and host.

Main Results:

Rickettsial diseases in Australia include epidemic typhus, murine typhus, scrub typhus, and Q fever.
Specific tick-borne spotted fevers such as Queensland tick typhus and Flinders Island spotted fever are geographically restricted.
Emerging threats include Rickettsia felis, novel RFG rickettsiae, and non-human pathogens affecting dogs and cattle.

Conclusions:

Australia harbors a diverse range of rickettsial diseases with varying geographical distributions.
Ongoing surveillance and research are necessary to understand the pathogenicity and public health impact of newly identified rickettsiae.
Control strategies must consider the specific epidemiology of each rickettsial disease and its vectors.