Specimen Collection
This must be a
dedicated tube
not shared with other test requests.
NOTE: DO NOT USE HEPARIN TUBES for any DNA analysis
Blood, skin biopsy bone marrow
Collect in a CAPD or EDTA tube.
DO NOT CENTRIGUGE.
Turnaround Time: At least 5 days
This test is performed in a weekly batch.
Specimens received in the Microbiology laboratory
before 1000 hrs on Monday
will be processed that day and the results available on Tuesday.
Specimens arriving
after 1000 hrs on Monday
will be held and processed in the following Monday's batch.
Turnaround time excludes weekends and public holidays.
Please discuss with the Clinical Microbiologist if urgent or non-routine specimens.
Hours of service:
Monday to Friday only.
Diagnostic Use and Interpretation
Rickettsial diseases are amongst some of the oldest described infectious diseases. Despite the worldwide occurrence, the first confirmed case of rickettsial infection in New Zealand was not reported until 1991. A number of rickettsial diseases are currently recognised in Australia. These include scrub typhus, Queensland tick typhus, Flinders Island spotted fever and murine typhus.
Murine typhus is an illness that presents nonspecifically with fever, headache, myalgia and a rash (in 50% of patients) and laboratory tests are unhelpful early in the course of the illness. Presentation is similar to other zoonotic diseases such as leptospirosis. Murine typhus should be considered as part of the differential diagnosis in patients from rural areas presenting to medical practitioners with undiagnosed febrile illnesses.
Contact Information
For further information, contact the Microbiology Department via Lablink or the Clinical Microbiologist:
Lablink contact details
Dr Sally Roberts
, Microbiologist:
ext 22705
Cellphone
021 674 140
Dr Sharmini Muttaiyah
, Microbiologist:
ext 22700
Cellphone
021 615 892
Dr Mary de Almeida
, Microbiologist:
ext 22700
Cellphone
021 170 9117
Dr Matthew Blakiston
, Microbiologist: contact via Lablink
Dr Veronica Playle
, Microbiologist: contact via Lablink
Result Details
This assay targets the citrate synthase-encoding gene, gltA and is used for identifying the species. The presence of rickettsial DNA in a clinical specimen indicates acute infection caused by that Rickettsia species.