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At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Scrub typhus reemergence in the Maldives.

In summer 2002, an outbreak of febrile illness began in the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. Through April 2003, officials recorded 168 cases with 10 deaths. The Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences in Bangkok confirmed Orientia tsutsugamushi and conducted a joint investigation with the Ministry of Health, Maldives. These cases of scrub typhus were the first in the Maldives since World War II.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[A new natural focus of scrub typhus found in Hunchun].

From May to June 1992, Apodemus agrarius and Apodemus speciosus were captured in Hunchun, Jilin Province. Four strains of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi were isolated from viscera of rats and trombiculid mites. At the same time, the antibody against Rickettsia tsutsugamushi was assayed in the sera of the local people and the wild rats. The positive rates were 15.2% and 16.4%, respectively. The above results showed that a natural focus of scrub typhus exists in Hunchun area.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Evaluation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in Thai scrub typhus patients.

We report the development of an improved enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect Orientia (formerly Rickettsia) tsutsugamushi antibody in human sera. Results were compared with a standard test, the indirect immunoperoxidase assay (IIP). Control serum samples were collected from 96 American soldiers and 198 Royal Thai Army soldiers with no recent history of clinical illness. Sera were examined from 79 febrile, Thai scrub typhus patients presenting at Chiang Rai (76) and Bangkraui Nontaburi (3) Provincial hospitals (cases confirmed by elevated IIP IgG levels > or = 1:1,600, IgM levels > or = 1:400, or presence of an eschar). The mean + 2 SD, used for the upper limit of normal reactions in the IgG ELISA, was 0.10 for U.S. soldiers and 0.42 for Thai soldiers. Using the 0.10 cutoff value, 29% of the asymptomatic Thai soldiers would be designated as antibody positive. Variability of IgG ELISA values was greater in the Thai soldier group than in American soldiers, possibly reflecting previous exposure to O. tsutsugamushi. In the Thai patients, there was a significant correlation between IIP titers and single serum dilution (1:100) ELISA values (IgG, r = 0.75, n = 104; P < 0.0005; IgM, r = 0.70, n = 75; P < 0.0005) and between IIP titers and ELISA titers (IgG, r = 0.87, n = 103; P < 0.0005; IgM, r = 0.76, n = 75; P < 0.0005). The single serum dilution ELISA was as effective as the titration in determining presence of specific antibodies. The O. tsutsugamushi ELISA is a rapid and objective test amenable to accurately testing the large numbers of sera often obtained in seroepidemiologic investigations.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Lack of transplacental infection with scrub typhus organisms in laboratory mice.

Female mice were inoculated with either a virulent or avirulent strain of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi before (1 month and 1 week) or after (approximately 10 days) impregnation. From each group, two pregnant mothers were killed on day 20 post-impregnation, and fetuses and placentas were examined for rickettsiae. Organisms were isolated from 80% of placentas but not from the fetuses. Immediately following parturition, litters from 50% of the infected mothers were exchanged with litters from uninfected mothers. In all cases, no scrub typhus rickettsiae were found in the litters examined on days 1, 7, and 30 postpartum, and no antibody was found in sera collected 1 and 2 months postpartum.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

An unusual site of chigger bite in a patient with scrub typhus.

A 70-year-old female farmer was admitted to the hospital because of fever, headache, and diarrhea for 7 days. Hypotension, right-sided pleural effusion with respiratory distress and leukocytosis were noted. She was initially treated as systemic bacterial infection by i.v. administration of ampicillin/sulbactam and amikacin. Because fever persisted in spite of aggressive treatment, a repeat thorough physical examination was done. An eschar was found over the left-sided labium majus and an enlarged lymph node was noted over the left inguinal region. Under the impression of scrub typhus, minocycline was administered. The patient's clinical condition improved dramatically within 3 days. The diagnosis was later confirmed by a serologic test for Rickettsia tsutsugamushi.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Scrub typhus: vector competence of Leptotrombidium chiangraiensis chiggers and transmission efficacy and isolation of Orientia tsutsugamushi.

A total of 4,281 rodents, belonging to 20 species, was collected from three villages in Chiangrai Province, northern Thailand, from January 1994 to December 2001. The predominant species were Rattus rattus, R. losea and Bandicota indica, accounting for 96% of the total. More than 135,000 chigger mites were removed from wild rodents of which 1% were identified as Leptotrombidium chiangraiensis, a new species vector of scrub typhus. Five Orientia tsutsugamushi-infected L. chiangraiensis colonies established from chiggers removed from R. rattus and R. losea rodents. The prevalence of O. tsutsugamushi infection in colonies ranged from 7-89%. Vertical and horizontal transmission efficacies of O. tsutsugamushi were stable between generations among colonies of L. chiangraiensis. The two isolates of O. tsutsugamushi obtained from individual adult L. chiangraiensis mites represent the first successful isolation of this bacterium from individual adult mites. Characterization of the O. tsutsugamushi isolates is under way.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Life-threatening scrub typhus with meningoencephalitis and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

A 21-year-old man presented with fever, rash, seizure, stiff neck and rapidly progressive bilateral pulmonary infiltrates. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) study revealed pleocytosis with predominant polymorphonuclear cells, and hypo-glycorrhachia. Status epilepticus occurred, followed by acute respiratory distress syndrome with respiratory failure. Blood and CSF cultures for bacteria were negative, but an indirect immunofluorescence assay revealed a fourfold rise in antibody to Rickettsia tsutsugamushi in paired serum and a 1:2560 (+) IgM antibody titer. Severe scrub typhus with meningoencephalitis and extensive pneumonitis was diagnosed. The patient survived after intravenous minocycline therapy and intensive care, including aggressive seizure control, supportive mechanical ventilation and avoidance of fluid overloading. He had a nearly complete recovery. Practicing physicians in Taiwan should be aware of this reportable disease and its potentially serious complications if not promptly diagnosed and treated.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Human anti-scrub typhus rickettsia and rabbit anti-Proteus antibodies recognize similar epitope in the O-polysaccharide part of Proteus mirabilis OXK lipopolysaccharide.

In the Weil-Felix test, sera from patients infected with Orientia tsutsugamushi reacted with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Proteus mirabilis OXK strains. The O-polysaccharide of P. mirabilis OXK LPS consisted of pentasaccharide repeating units, with amidically-linked lysine residues. The lysine, linked to galacturonic residues, which plays an important role in the reaction with rabbit anti-OXK antibodies, was revealed with the aid of synthetic antigens. Using ELISA, immunoglobulin M antibodies from scrub typhus patients reacted with the O-specific polysaccharide of strain OXK LPS only. This reaction was inhibited by rabbit antibodies specific to the O-antigen of strain OXK LPS. Both human and rabbit antibodies may bind to similar epitopes on the O-polysaccharide part of P. mirabilis OXK LPS.

Acrylic Resins↗
PubMed1991

Murine and scrub typhus at Thai-Kampuchean border displaced persons camps.

Rickettsial infections are considered a major cause of illness among inmates of Thai-Kampuchean border displaced persons camps. In the absence of sophisticated laboratory support, it had become common practice to treat patients with obscure fevers with tetracycline as a 'diagnostic' test for typhus. This study evaluated a group of 67 randomly selected camp inmates who presented with fever and had findings that indicated a specific diagnosis. Differential blood counts, malaria smears, hemoglobin determinations, blood cultures, dengue and Japanese encephalitis virus and rickettsial IgM and IgG antibody titers were determined. Patients were then treated with tetracycline and followed. They could be divided into six groups after data were analyzed. Those with no final diagnosis comprised 14 cases (21%), 4 patients (6%) were found to have dengue fever, 6 (9%) scrub typhus and 39 (58%) had murine (endemic) typhus. None of the bacterial blood cultures drawn from this group grew any organisms and no tick typhus or Japanese encephalitis was diagnosed. Analysis of symptoms and signs did not allow clinical differentiation between groups. All patients became afebrile and well within 1-5 days of starting tetracycline therapy. We conclude that rickettsial disease is a major health problem in the Thai-Kampuchean border camps. The incidence of murine typhus increased during the dry season and was more prevalent among males. The use of tetracycline as a 'therapeutic test' did not distinguish between rickettsial, viral and undiagnosed febrile diseases.

Cambodia↗