Frequency of antibodies and seroconversion against Rickettsia spp in patients who consulted health institutions of Caldas Department-Colombia, years 2016-2019

Introduction: Rickettsiosis are zoonotic diseases transmitted by arthropods that fulfill the role of vectors and reservoirs; disease symptoms are nonspecific, and their clinical diagnosis is difficult; Indirect Immunofluorescence (IFA) is the gold standard assay for diagnosis. In Colombia, since 2001, interest in conducting studies in search of these pathologies has resurfaced after previous studies have evidenced cases of rickettsiosis in the north of the Department of Caldas. Objective: To stablish the frequency of antibodies and seroconversion against Rickettsia spp. In patients who consult the health institutions of the Department of Caldas-Colombia, years 2016-2019. Materials and methods: A quantitative, observational and descriptive study was conducted on a non-probabilistic sample of 175 patients with symptoms compatible with rickettsiosis who consulted in different municipalities of Caldas-Colombia; IFA was performed to detect antibodies in the acute and convalescent-phase against Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia typhi and Rickettsia felis. Results: The average age was 31 years. The municipalities with the highest proportion of seropositives were Belalcázar, Chinchiná, Filadelfia, La Dorada, La Merced and Manizales. 66% of patients owned pets; 12% reported arthropod bites. The most frequent signs and symptoms were: headache 69.7%, arthromyalgia 60%, and fever 58.2%. IgG seroprevalence was 60%, 47.9%, and 24% for R. rickettsii, R. typhi, and R. felis. Eight patients presented seroconversion.