Rickettsial infections: A blind spot in our view of neglected tropical diseases
Journal
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
ISSN
1935-2735
Date Issued
2021
Author(s)
Jeanne Salje
Paul N. Newton
George M. Varghese
Nicholas Day
Type
Resource Types::text::journal::journal article
URL Institutional Repository
Abstract
<jats:p>Rickettsial diseases are a group of vector-borne bacterial infections that cause acute febrile illness with potentially severe or fatal complications. These vector-borne diseases are prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide and disproportionately affect poorer communities but are scientifically underrecognized. Despite this, they are not included in the World Health Organization’s list of neglected tropical diseases nor were they mentioned in Peter Hotez’s recent reflections on “What constitutes a neglected tropical disease?” in <jats:italic>PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases</jats:italic> [1]. Here we present the case that rickettsial infections, as an overlooked cause of morbidity, mortality, and economic losses in marginalized populations, should be recognized as neglected tropical diseases. We describe how this oversight is the result of a number of factors and how it negatively impacts patient outcomes. We then propose measures to address the neglect of rickettsial infections in both scientific research and public health interventions.</jats:p>
Cite this document
Salje, J., Weitzel, T., Newton, P. N., Varghese, G. M., & Day, N. (2021). Rickettsial infections: A blind spot in our view of neglected tropical diseases. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 15(5), e0009353. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009353
Subjects
scrub typhus
;
orientia-tsutsugamushi
;
febrile illness
;
global health
;
humans
;
neglected diseases
;
poverty
;
public health
;
rickettsia infections
;
rickettsiales
;
tropical medicine
;
antibiotic resistance
;
article
;
bacterial infection
;
chagas disease
;
dengue
;
disease surveillance
;
epidemic
;
headache
;
health care policy
;
human
;
leishmania
;
length of stay
;
lung tuberculosis
;
malaria
;
morbidity
;
mortality
;
nonhuman
;
parasite transmission
;
public health
;
rhipicephalus sanguineus
;
rickettsia parkeri
;
rickettsia rickettsii
;
rickettsiosis
;
risk factor
;
schistosomiasis
;
scrub typhus
;
septic shock
;
seroprevalence
;
tropical disease
;
tuberculosis
;
global health
;
isolation and purification
;
microbiology
;
neglected disease
;
pathology
;
poverty
;
rickettsiaceae infection
;
rickettsiales
;
tropical medicine