Strains of R. rickettsii, the agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, differ greatly in the severity of the disease caused. The genetic differences responsible for this disparity are only now being uncovered. An avirulent, laboratory adapted strain of R. rickettsii fails to proteolytically process se...
ORGANISM(S): Rickettsia rickettsii str. 'Sheila Smith' Rickettsia rickettsii str. Iowa