Serological evidence for the continued presence of human rickettsioses in southern India

Abstract

Rickettsiosis is generally believed to have disappeared from many parts of India. However, the serological testing of 37 residents of southern India who presented with fever of unknown aetiology in 1996–1998 confirmed that spotted fever, epidemic/endemic typhus and scrub typhus continue to occur in southern India. The epidemiology and magnitude of the problem need to be evaluated.