ANTIGENIC ANALYSIS BY DIRECT IMMUNOFLUORESCENCE OF 114 ISOLATES OF RICKETTSIA TSUTSUGAMUSHI RECOVERED FROM FEBRILE PATIENTS IN RURAL MALAYSIA

: One hundred and fourteen Rickettsia tsutsugamushi isolates, recovered from febrile patients in central Peninsular Malaysia, were antigenically analyzed by direct immunofluorescence using eight prototype strains. Twenty-nine antigenic types were detected. The TA763, TA716, Karp and TA686 strains were the most common and occurred singly or in combination with each other or other strains in 86% of the isolates.