USSR WORK ON RICKETTSIOSES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700190275-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2011
• Sequence Number: 275
• Publication Date: July 21, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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USSR IdORK ON RIC}Q;PiSIOS~
h~ditsinski Rabotnik
Vol 17, No 31
btoscow, 16 Apr 1954
P. Zclrodovskiy,. Active btem,
Acad 1?fed Sci USSR
Rickettsioses form a group of infections xhich are caused by special ni-
croorganisms, the so-called rir-};ettsia. Zn regard to their r.:orpholo~, the
causative factors of rickettsioses are similar to bacteria, however, gust like
viruses, they are intercellular parasites and can be gro-.m in substrates which
consist of living ;,issues or tissues that have survived.
Under natural conditions rickettsioses are observed in blood-sucking ar-
thropods, in some wild and c}omestic animals, and f;^111y in humans, Among
blood-sucking arthropods diseases of this class may assume one of a number of
difi'ercrt courses. In arthropods the disease may proceed as a let}:al infection,
a., fcr instance ~};c exartL;:r,.atous typhus rickettsiosis of lice, or as n symp_
tomless infection of indefinite duration, one of the examples of the last
variety being the e>;ant};ematous typhus rickettsiosis of fleas. Finally the symp-
tomless infection existing during the life of the infected arthropods may be
transmitted iaereditarily and then represents tl:e so-called trarsovarially trans-
mitted type of ric}:etLSiosis. Among minor wild animals, and particularly rodents,
no symoL~ms arc observed. Among farm animals rickettsioses do not occur at all,
xhich applies for instance to Q fever, or they assume the form of an acute disease
which is often lethal, as for instance the cardiac edema of cattle. Among humans
rickettsioses represcr.t a significant group of diseases of various degree of
acuity, which are uccom};anied as a rule by a characteristic skin rash. For that
reason, they are called exariL'neridt~us typhus diseases or s},otted fevers.
The following ric}:ettsioses occur ar:ong humans; epidemic lice-transmitted
exnnthematous typhus and muz2ne typhus, ~.rhich is tzansmitted by fleas, the spotted
Roc}tiv 6fountair, fever, the Marseilles fever, the }forth Asiatic tick rickettsiosis,
the vesicular rickettsiosis or rickettsia) pox, ~ fever or pulmoaary rickettsiosis,
tsutsugamushi fever, and the trench or Volyn' fever. Tfie most maligncuat ricket-
tsioses besides typhus azre the Roc},y RSout;tain fever, which results in~~, fatalities
and t}:r. Japanese tsutsugamushi fever, in which the fatality e:;seeds ?.
The pathogenesis of rickettsia) diseases is complex.. In addition to the
general intoricatien of the organism, xhich is due to the formation of toxic sub-
stw,ces by the Rickettsia, the disease is characteri:.ed by infectious and infec-
tious-allergic affections of the blood vessels in the fom of vasculites and
th*ombo-vasculites of various degrer_s of development, often accompanied by the
fnzznation of extravascular granulomas, In addition to organic deteriornt.;~a~ of
~~'"'lYJ:ood vessels, i'unctional disturbances of the blood circulation take place.
These disturbances are connected with deficiencies oi' the nerve and humoral re-
gulation of the circulation, and these deficiencies in turn are caused by an af-
fection oi' the suprarenal glands,
toxic uffecti.ons of the cerzbrum, whichcon the oneyhandicause~ain}as infectious-
in acute cases various neuropsychic disturbances p Ynciromes and
disturbances of the nerve regulation of the basic functionseoftthe orcaninmdine
general. Firal],y one must note the formation of atypical pneumonia, which is
characteristic for Q fever whenever the infection with it takes place by the rc-
spirntor,~ path.
Infection with a rickettsiosis and recovery from it create homologous and
heterologous immunity which .is effective with;.n the limits of the same group of
rickettsia) infections. For instance, recovery from any one of the tick ricket-
tsioses produces pronounced immunity to other rickettsioses of the same tick group.
On the other hand no immunity is produced against infections belonging to the e::-
anthematous typhus group, (j fever, or other diseases of a different group.
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The sera of patisnts who are suffe:?in~; from a rickettsiosis or o1' people
who have recovered from a rickettsiosis exhibit, j:ist as in the case of other
infections, the capacity to produce various immunological renctions with re-
ference to Rickettsia of th
e corresponding species. Particularly the serum
yields a specific reaction of the agglutination of rickettsia and a reaction of
complement 1'ixatio in the presence of a rickettsial antigen derived from the
same microbiologica~ species. This circumstance is used for the specific serum
diagnosis of rickettsioses, which succeeds even in cases when the perso., had the
disease a long time ago.
The epidemiology and epizootology of rickettsioses are characte:?ized by the
spread of these diseases among human beings and animals through the medium of
blood-sucking arthropods, which eliminate rickettsiae either only in their ex-
crements, as in the case of lice or fleas, or with the salivary secretion, as in
the case of ticks or mites. In the f?:rst case the infection takes place when the
excrements containing .the causative factor get into sY.in wounds, skin abrasions,
or into the mucous membranes; this is the manner in which the Sn1'ect:on takes
place in epidemic typhus, m~:?ine typhus, or Volyn' fever. In the second case the
infection is transmitted by the bite of a tick or mite. This mode of infect:cn is
observed ir, all ricl;ettsio:es w_th the exception of those mentioned above and Q
fever.
Only in rare cases are rickettsioses transmitted through the medium of in-
fected elimitf3tio^ products o; diseased animals, i.e., milY., urine, or manure of
cattle. This applies principally to Q feve:? er pulmonary r1c'rettsiosis. With
the exception of epidemic typhus and Volyn' fever, human beings are infected with
a rickettsiosis only in regions where the same infection is prevalent among; animals
susceptible to it.. It is these animals together with the ticks or mites which
live as parasites on them that form a natural rese:?voir of the causative factor,
In regard to their epidemiological and epizoological aspects, tick ricket-
tsioses are gove:?ned by the laws pertaining to natural reservoirs which have been
established by Ye. !?i. Pavlovsl:iy. Infected ticks transmit th. disease to humans.
Accordingly the seasonal occurrence of :?icY.ettsiosis corresponds to t'he period of
the highest activity of ticks cr mites, i.e., the season during which they attack
mammals most frequently. For instance there is a spring maximum of the infect3$'n
of human beings with the North elsintic rickettsiosis, which is transmitted by
various species of pastu:?e ticks.
The science of hiCliettsia and rickettsioses is at present regarded as an in-
dependent division of that branch cf medical science which deals with infections.
Accordingly, in the composition of Soviet microbiology, a new discipline has ap-
peared in addition to those of bacteriology, protozoology, and virology; namely,
rickettsio?o~y, 2~'j~#s understandable therefore that in all plans made for re-
sea:?ch work rickettsioses represent an independent field of study,
How vex one must take into consideration that the body of knowledge on ricke`.-
tsioses is still in the period of formation, and is being constantly supplemented
by new facts and new discoveries,
During the period 136-1953 Soviet investigators established the occurrence of
the following endemic rickettsioses: marine typhus, btarseilles fever, and oulmo-
nary rickettsiosis or Q fever. In addition to that the following rickettsioses were
newly discovered: the tick-transmitted exanthematous typhus of Plorthern Asia, the
tick vesicular ric};ettciosis or rickettsial pox, and the tick-transmitted parcxysma"1
rickettsiosis. Furthermore one occasionally continues to observe the episodic oc-
currence of residual forme of ordinary typhus. In some regions Volym' fever is observed.
Thum:we.;;ave established the existence in%;the USSR of eight different types of
rickettsiosis, including six endem'c`?~ypes which are connected with the existence of
naturrl,~r~~ervoirs of infection. Wherever these reservoirs occur, the infection is
associated witl: the presence of an enzootic ric};eitsiosis affecting blood-sucking
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arthropods and mammals, It is understnndnble that endemic rickettsioses occupy
a subordinate position within the total balance of infectious diseases and that
they are basically of local importance only
occut?rin
in th
,
g
e regions of the
natural reservoirs. However it would be a miatake to undervalue or ignore these
diseases. In addition to the fact that the diseases of this type are of :egionnl
importance, murine typhus and various types of tick or mite rickettsioses are
]ocally confused with ordinary or epidemic typhus. This means chat faulty diagnoses
are being made and that antiepidemic measures are not being organized -orrectly.
There can be no doubt that the same errors occur with reference to ~ fever, which
is reported under the name of chronic influenza, atypical pneumonia, an infection
of the paratyphoid type, etc.
It is known from antiepidemic practice that epidemic rickettsiosis may become
widespread. Thus in the US in 1944 and 1945 the incidence of murine typhus reached
5,000 cases per year. According to the view cf Amet?ican authors, the actual in-
cidence of this rickettsiosis exr_eeded by five times the incidence which had been
recorded officially.
The epidemic spread of ~ fever may take place to a still wider extent. Q
fever effects cattle and ether livestcck Cottle infected with Q fever e].i:r.t-Hate
a very persistent causative factor with their milY., urine, excrements. ac: :la-
centr-. Infection of human beings then takes place through the air by r,;eans of
infected dust. ;?;ate:?ia1 serving as a source of infection, for instance infected
wool, hay, or cotton, may he transported over 1o::g distances and thus spread tite
disease:
roc the reasons stated one must pay constant attention to the whole group of
rickettsioses in addition to typhus, which should not be methodologically sepa-
rated from other rickettsioses,
One must also bear in mind the possibility of the transmission From abroad of
such malignant rickettsioses as tsutsugamushi fever and the Rocky i?fountaiti spotted
fever.
Unfortunately information on rickettsioses is not very popular among phy-
sicians and is usually limited to a Y.nowledge of epidemic typ}-.us. One must also
recognize that a lack of adequate knowledge on the subject of rickettsioses also
exists among physicians who are specialists in the field of microbiology, epide-
mioloi-,y, and infectious diseases. It is essential that the directing organs of
the public health service take all necessary steps for the dissemination among the
medical comm~~nity of basic knowledge on rickettsioses,
The laboratory detection of rickettsia]. diseases, in addition to being based
on data obtained in attempts to isolate the causative factor from patients, is
best serried out by means of serological reactions, The reaction of the agglutina-
tion of Rickettsia is applied in epidemic typhus and murine typhus, also in Q fever.
The reaction of complement fixation can be successfully applied in diagnosing ell
other types of the infections under considec?ntion, including the total group of
ticlt-transmitted and mite-transmitted rickettsioses., Accordingly the directing
organs oi' the public health service must provide for the local. organization of fa-
cilities for the specific serum diagnosis of rickettsioses. One must take steps
to assure the production of ricl:ettsial antigens.. The methods and technology for
this rroduction have been completely developed at the Institute of Epidemiology
and bicrobiology imeni Gamaleya, Academy of h'.edical Sciences U53R.
The therapy of ticket+,s loses can be successfully carried out by .means of the
antibiotics synthomycin, levomycetin, and biomycin.
The fight with endemic rickettsioses basically amounts to the application of
prophylactic measures, because the epidemiology of this type of disease demands that.
reliance be placed primarily on sucFt measures. This means that we must first of all
exterminate the transmitters of the diseases and prevent their attncg on human beings.
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in nature must also be css'riedyout.~~y0nenmuet exterminaterallfrats andkmiceiin
regions where marine typhus or vesicular rickettsiosia exist. In connection
with'e`v~ry type of rickettsiosia, these measures must be adapted to the partic-
ular epidemiological characteristics of this rickettsiosia. For instance, in
the case of Q fever, special protection agfi.nst alimentary or airborne infection
is necessary._ Infection in the case of Q Sever is caused by elimination of the
causative Pector to the milk, urine, or excrements of cattle. In other words,
boiling of the milk, disinfection of the cattle barns, burning of the manure,
and other measures of this type are necessary. As far as specific prophylaxis
within the group of endemic rickettsiosea is concerned, one may expect that it
will be practically feasible in the near future only with reference to Q fever.
The information outlined above gives a general review of the typical char-
acteristics of rickettsioses. This review is designed to serve as an introduc-
tion into the specialized field of this gx?oup of infectious diseases.
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