Approaches to the molecular epidemiology of rickettsioses.

This review deals with the developments of molecular approaches to the investigation of rickettsial disease epidemiology. The data presented include changes in the incidence and geographic distribution of endemic rickettsioses. Use of the DNA restriction enzyme technique, in combination with DNA probe analysis, for the molecular genetic differentiation of tick spotted fever--and typhus fever--group rickettsiae and correlation between with the analysis of polypeptide composition of the above group of rickettsiae are discussed. The data are presented on progress in the identification of various Coxiella burnetii strains as a result of restriction analysis of plasmid DNA as well as chromosomal DNA in combination with DNA probe. New and detailed characteristics of classified and newly isolated strains of rickettsiae and Coxiella burnetii revealed by molecular genetic differentiation techniques are discussed. New identification techniques using DNA probes in combination with restriction analysis of chromosomal from rickettsiae and both plasmid and chromosomal DNA from Coxiella burnetii are considered to have good prospects for future use in epidemiological assessment. The establishment of reference file banks containing restriction endonuclease data on the available typical and atypical strains of rickettsiae and Coxiella burnetii is suggested.