Chapter 18 The rickettsiae

Publisher Summary Rickettsiae as obligate intracellular bacteria have DNA and RNA with a genome size half that of Escherichia and the same size as Neisseria, which are free-living bacteria. This makes them suited for molecular studies and for the study of host-parasite interaction. With the ability to manipulate DNA segments in these organisms, it will be possible to evaluate the effect of the loss or gain of specific genes. Virulence factors unknown in rickettsia could be identified, cloned, and evaluated. The extensive application of newer biomolecular techniques and tools may make possible the monitoring of a number of the clinical aspects of rickettsial diseases, for example, potential disease relapse and/or treatment failures. The application of these techniques in the clinical field will probably be used to determine the pathogenesis of rickettsial infections and determine the location of the organisms during persistent infection when there is no indication of disease.