Murine typhus and spotted fever in Israel in the seventies

One hundred and eleven cases of rickettsial disease-100 cases of murine typhus and 11 cases spotted fever--seen over a four year period at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center are reviewed. The clinical picture of murine typhus (caused by Rickettsia mooseri and transmitted by Xenopsylla cheopis) could not be distinguished from that of spotted fever (caused by a Rickettsia similar to Rickettsia conori and transmitted by Rhipicephalus). Some quite severe cases of murine typhus and some relatively mild cases of spotted fever were seen.