Possible Role of Rickettsia felis in Acute Febrile Illness among Children in Gabon
Authors: Jean Bernard Lekana-Douki
Oleg Mediannikov
Florence Fenollar
Lady Charlene Kouna
Didier Raoult
Jean Claude Biteghe Bi Essone
Sydney Maghendji Nzondo
Gaël Mourembou
Journal: Emerging infectious diseases (2015)
Discipline: IMMUNOLOGY
Keywords: Gabon; R. felis; Rickettsia felis; acute febrile illness; bacteria

Abstract:  Rickettsia felis has been reported to be a cause of fever in sub-Saharan Africa, but this association has been poorly evaluated in Gabon. We assessed the prevalence of this bacterium among children &lt;15 years of age in 4 areas of Gabon; the locations were in urban, semiurban, and rural areas. DNA samples from 410 febrile children and 60 afebrile children were analyzed by quantitative PCR. Overall, the prevalence of R. felis among febrile and afebrile children was 10.2% (42/410 children) and 3.3% (2/60 children), respectively. Prevalence differed among febrile children living in areas that are urban (Franceville, 1.3% [1/77]), semiurban (Koulamoutou, 2.1% [3/141]), and rural (Lastourville, 11.2% [15/134]; Fougamou, 39.7% [23/58]). Furthermore, in a rural area (Fougamou), R. felis was significantly more prevalent in febrile (39.7% [23/58]) than afebrile children (5.0% [1/20]). Additional studies are needed to better understand the pathogenic role of R. felis in this part of the world. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 This paper is part of a set of 9 papers. According to the authors, all papers are related to the same protocol approved under the number 0023 2013 SG CNE by the National Ethics Committee of Gabon. Some of the authors are mentioned in the 9 papers. This protocol seems to cover 2 types of different objectives: -t3 papers describe a study on malaria in children. -t9 papers describe studies dedicated to characterize different new bacteria. **Study on malaria in children:** - 3 papers describe a study in hundreds of febrile and afebriles children. -tBlood samples are taken. -tThe study is performed between 2013 and 2014. **Studies to characterize different new bacteria:** 6 papers describes different protocols done on different participants. -tStools samples have been taken. No blood samples. -t4 papers describe a protocol performed on 1 child only. This is a different child for each paper. All samples have been taken on January 2015. -t1 paper describes a protocol performed on 1 adult only on January 2015 -t1 paper describes a protocol performed on 3 children in Gabon and Senegal in 2016. Can the authors explain how a unique protocol cover 2 different types of studies with 2 objectives so different? -tStudy designs are very different. -tRecruitment periods are different. -tTypes of participants are different -tTypes of sample are different, etcu2026 It seems pretty unusual that a same protocol cover -tblood samples in children to study malaria in 2013. -tand also a stool sample in 1 adult only, 2 years after. Can the authors explain the scope of the protocol Nu00b00023 2013 SG CNE and the approval process by the National Ethics Committee of Gabon for this 2 different type of design ? **Malaria in children u2013 Blood samples (2013-2014)** 1.t[Emerging infectious diseases - Possible role of Rickettsia felis in acute febrile illness among children in Gabon] 2.t[Malaria journal - Malaria in urban, semi-urban and rural areas of southern of Gabon: comparison of the Pfmdr 1 and Pfcrt genotypes from symptomatic children] 3.t[The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene - Co-circulation of Plasmodium and bacterial DNAs in blood of febrile and afebrile children from urban and rural areas in Gabon] **Description of new bacteria u2013 Stool samples in children (or 1 adult)** 4.t[Current microbiology - Description of Gabonibacter massiliensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a new member of the family porphyromonadaceae isolated from the human gut microbiota] 5.t[New Microbes and New Infections - Taxonogenomics description of Bacillus dakarensis sp. nov., Bacillus sinesaloumensis sp. nov. and Bacillus massiliogabonensis sp. nov., three new species isolated from human stools] 6.t[New microbes and new infections - Noncontiguous finished genome sequence and description of Gabonia massiliensis gen. nov., sp. nov.] 7.t[New microbes and new infections - u201cIntestinimonas gabonensisu201d sp. nov., a new bacterium detected from a Gabonese stool specimen] 8.t[New microbes and new infections - Noncontiguous finished genome sequence and description of Kallipyga gabonensis sp. nov.] 9.t[New microbes and new infections - Discovery of a new species within Bacillus genus in a stool sample from Gabon:u201cBacillus massiliogabonensisu201d sp. nov.] ,