CAUSATIVE AGENT
RESERVOIR
ARTHROPOD
DISEASE
VECTOR
Body louse feces
Man
Epidemic typhus
Rickettsia
(classical, Old
prowazekii
(Pediculus
World, European,
humanus
or louse-borne
corporis) (rarely
typhus)
the head louse--
Pediculus
humanus capitus)
Rats (less
Endemic typhus
Rickettsia
Rat flea bite
often, mice)
(murine, New
typhi
(rat to man or rat)
World, or
Rat louse (rat to rat)
fleaborne typhus)
Tick bite (many
Rabbits, small
Rocky Mountain
Rickettsia
species)
rodents, dogs,
spotted fever
rickettsii
opossum,
foxes
Mite bite (Alloder-
House mice
Rickettsialpox
Rickettsia
manyssus
akari
sanguineus
Mite bite
Rodents
Scrub typhus
Rickettsia
(Trombicula
(tsutsugamushi
tsutsugamushi
akamushi,
disease.)
T. deliensis,
T. pallida)
None. Acquired by
Cattle, sheep,
Q fever
Coxiella burnetti
breathing
goats, rodents
(Rickettsia burnetii)
contaminated
air, drinking milk
from infected
animals, or by
direct contact.
.
Table 2-3.
Common rickettsial diseases
d. Mycoplasma. Mycoplasmas are the smallest organisms known that are
capable of growth and reproduction outside of living host cells. Because of their
variations of shape, the actual size of the individual cells is variable. It is generally
agreed that they range from about 0.12 to 0.25 in diameter. The major difference
MD0151
2-18