Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Rochalimaea antibodies in Kawasaki disease

Abstract

Sera from 38 patients with Kawasaki disease were tested for immunofluorescent antibodies to Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Rochalimaea henselae, and R. quintana Oklahoma. Only 2.5% of the patients tested positive for E. chaffeensis, and 5% were positive for R. henselae and R. quintana Oklahoma. Our data suggest that Ehrlichia and Rochalimaea spp. do not play a unique role in the etiology of Kawasaki disease.