Question

Consider the following statements about rickettsial diseases:
1. These are transmitted by arthropods.
2. Eschar is not seen in Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
3. Weil-Felix reaction may be diagnostic.
4. Cephalosporins are the drug of choice.
Which of these statements are correct?

• A. 1, 2 and 3
• B. 2, 3 and 4
• C. 1, 3 and 4
• D. 1, 2 and 4

Hint:

Recall which antibiotic class, not cephalosporins, treats rickettsial infections.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
Four statements about rickettsial diseases are given, and we must pick out which three are true.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
Go through each statement using core facts about rickettsiae: how they spread, their clinical signs, the diagnostic test used, and their treatment, then match the true ones to an answer choice.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Rickettsial organisms are obligate intracellular bacteria that spread through arthropod bites, ticks, mites, lice or fleas depending on the disease, so statement 1 is correct. Rocky Mountain spotted fever, caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, is known for its rash but classically lacks the eschar seen in some related spotted fevers, so statement 2 is also correct. The Weil-Felix test detects antibodies that cross react with Proteus OX strains and is used, with some limitations, to support a rickettsial diagnosis, making statement 3 correct as well. The treatment of choice for rickettsial disease is doxycycline, a tetracycline antibiotic, and not a cephalosporin, so statement 4 is false.

Step 4: Final Answer:
Statements 1, 2 and 3 are correct, matching option (A).