Rickettsial infections and fever, Vientiane, Laos.

Journal article

Rickettsial diseases have not been described previously from Laos, but in a prospective study, acute rickettsial infection was identified as the cause of fever in 115 (27%) of 427 adults with negative blood cultures admitted to Mahosot Hospital in Vientiane, Laos. The organisms identified by serologic analysis were Orientia tsutsugamushi (14.8%), Rickettsia typhi (9.6%), and spotted fever group rickettsia (2.6% [8 R. helvetica, 1 R. felis, 1 R. conorii subsp. indica, and 1 Rickettsia "AT1"]). Patients with murine typhus had a lower frequency of peripheral lymphadenopathy than those with scrub typhus (3% vs. 46%, p<0.001). Rickettsioses are an underrecognized cause of undifferentiated febrile illnesses among adults in Laos. This finding has implications for the local empiric treatment of fever.

Authors: Phongmany, S; Rolain, J; Phetsouvanh, R; Blacksell, S; Soukkhaseum, V

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Emerging infectious diseases
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 256-262
• Publication date: 2006-02-01
• DOI: 10.3201/eid1202.050900
• EISSN: 1080-6059
• ISSN: 1080-6040
• Language: English
• Keywords: Fever; Rickettsia typhi; Scrub Typhus; Adult; Antibodies, Bacterial; Orientia tsutsugamushi; Immunoglobulin G; Middle Aged; Adolescent; Male; Prospective Studies; Humans; Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne; Female; Aged; Immunoglobulin M; Laos