Presence of human past infections due to the Bar29 rickettsial strain in Southern Spain

Abstract

The prevalence of past infections due to Bar29 rickettsial strain in a population from Southern Europe, as well as the possible risk factors associated to exposure to this rickettsia, were analysed. Among the 504 subjects included, global prevalence of past infections was 3.4%. Past infections were significantly more frequent in rural areas compared to urban (10.8 vs. 3.2%, OR 3.6 [1.1-12.3], P = .05), and suburban areas (10.8 vs. 1.9%, OR 6.2 [1.3-28.9], P = .02). In multivariate analysis the factors that were independently associated to past infection due to Bar29 strain were higher age (P = .037; factor of 1.033 [1.002-1.066]), and a risk profession (P = .005; OR = 5.7 [1.6-19.6]). These data point towards the presence of past Bar29 strain infections in a population from Southern Spain.