Diagnostic assay for Orientia tsutsugamushi by detection of responsive gene expression

A method for the early diagnosis of Orientia tsutsugamushi infection wherein diagnosis is by determining a gene expression profile comprising the steps:

• a. obtaining total RNA from cells from a patient, total RNA from uninfected control cells and RNA from cells infected with Orientia tsutsugamushi;
• b. measuring the expression of genes from said patient cells, uninfected control cells and Orientia tsutsugamushi infected cells to obtain gene expression profile comprising the genes;
• lymphotoxin alpha, FK506 binding protein, interferon induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 2, chemokine receptor 7, never-in-mitosis gene a-related kinase 3, chemokine ligand 3, transcription factor 12, minichromosome maintenance deficient 3 associated protein, NADH dehydrogenase Fe—S protein 3, zinc finger protein 147, chemokine ligand 8,2′-5′ oligoadenylate synthetase 3, junction plakoglobin, viperin, replication protein A2, G protein signaling 1, apoptosis-related cysteine protease, tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein, beta polypeptide, polymerase gamma 2 accessory subunit, enhancer of zeste homology 2 and to the expected gene profile of genes expected to be repressed including:
• myelin protein zero, TP inducible gene;
• c. determining the modulation of said expression of said genes by comparing the expression of said patient genes with the expression of said genes from said infected and uninfected cells;
• d. creating a profile of the modulation of said patient, infected and uninfected cell genes;
• e. comparing said patient cell gene modulation profile to the profile to the profile of said infected and uninfected cell genes.