Laboratory-Acquired Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: The Hazard of Aerosol Transmission.

摘要

Nine patients with laboratory-acquired Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) were seen during the period 1971-1976. Investigation of each case revealed either definite or probable exposure to an aerosol containing infectious rickettsiae; in no case was there evidence of parenteral exposure either by accidental self-inoculation or by tick bite. These illnesses are believed to represent RMSF acquired via the respiratory route; this report emphasizes the aerosol hazard of Rickettsia rickettsii in the laboratory and discusses the possibility of respiratory transmission of RMSF in nature. Cell-mediated immunity, as measured by lymphocyte transformation to rickettsial antigen, was detected in these patients and was correlated with serologic studies. (Author)