%0 Journal Article
%T Metagenomic Detection of Bacterial Zoonotic Pathogens among Febrile Patients, Tanzania, 2007-20091.
%A Rolfe RJ
%A Sheldon SW
%A Kingry LC
%A Petersen JM
%A Maro VP
%A Kinabo GD
%A Saganda W
%A Maze MJ
%A Halliday JEB
%A Nicholson WL
%A Galloway RL
%A Rubach MP
%A Crump JA
%J Emerg Infect Dis
%V 30
%N 8
%D 2024 Aug
%M 39043406
%F 16.126
%R 10.3201/eid3008.240529
%X Bacterial zoonoses are established causes of severe febrile illness in East Africa. Within a fever etiology study, we applied a high-throughput 16S rRNA metagenomic assay validated for detecting bacterial zoonotic pathogens. We enrolled febrile patients admitted to 2 referral hospitals in Moshi, Tanzania, during September 2007-April 2009. Among 788 participants, median age was 20 (interquartile range 2-38) years. We performed PCR amplification of V1-V2 variable region 16S rRNA on cell pellet DNA, then metagenomic deep-sequencing and pathogenic taxonomic identification. We detected bacterial zoonotic pathogens in 10 (1.3%) samples: 3 with Rickettsia typhi, 1 R. conorii, 2 Bartonella quintana, 2 pathogenic Leptospira spp., and 1 Coxiella burnetii. One other sample had reads matching a Neoerhlichia spp. previously identified in a patient from South Africa. Our findings indicate that targeted 16S metagenomics can identify bacterial zoonotic pathogens causing severe febrile illness in humans, including potential novel agents.