Emerging and re-emerging rickettsioses: endothelial cell infection and early disease events

Abstract

Rickettsiae cause some of the most severe human infections, including epidemic typhus and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Substantial progress has been made in research into the genomics, vector relationships, pathogenesis and immunity of these obligate, intracellular, arthropod-transmitted bacteria. This Review summarizes our understanding of the early and late events in pathogenesis and immunity, modulation of the host response to rickettsial infection by the vector, host defence, virulence mechanisms and rickettsial manipulation of host cells.