Tags: Bacteria.
Rickettsia akari is a species of Rickettsia which causes rickettsialpox.After a 1946 outbreak of a rickettsial-type disease at an apartment complex in Kew Gardens Queens an investigation was performed to identify the source of the infections. The incinerators in the buildings were not operated on a daily basis leading to a buildup in food waste and attracting mice that were rampant throughout the building.