First Identification and Description of Rickettsioses and Q Fever as Causes of Acute Febrile Illness in Nicaragua
نویسندگان
چکیده
BACKGROUND Rickettsial infections and Q fever present similarly to other acute febrile illnesses, but are infrequently diagnosed because of limited diagnostic tools. Despite sporadic reports, rickettsial infections and Q fever have not been prospectively studied in Central America. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We enrolled consecutive patients presenting with undifferentiated fever in western Nicaragua and collected epidemiologic and clinical data and acute and convalescent sera. We used ELISA for screening and paired sera to confirm acute (≥4-fold rise in titer) spotted fever and typhus group rickettsial infections and Q fever as well as past (stable titer) infections. Characteristics associated with both acute and past infection were assessed. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE We enrolled 825 patients and identified acute rickettsial infections and acute Q fever in 0.9% and 1.3%, respectively. Clinical features were non-specific and neither rickettsial infections nor Q fever were considered or treated. Further study is warranted to define the burden of these infections in Central America.
منابع مشابه
Unsuspected Rickettsioses among Patients with Acute Febrile Illness, Sri Lanka, 2007
We studied rickettsioses in southern Sri Lanka. Of 883 febrile patients with paired serum samples, 156 (17.7%) had acute rickettsioses; rickettsioses were unsuspected at presentation. Additionally, 342 (38.7%) had exposure to spotted fever and/or typhus group rickettsioses and 121 (13.7%) scrub typhus. Increased awareness of rickettsioses and better tests are needed.
متن کاملRickettsial Infections and Q Fever Amongst Febrile Patients in Bhutan
There is limited evidence of rickettsial diseases in Bhutan. We explored the contribution of rickettsioses as a cause of undifferentiated febrile illness in patients presenting to 14 Bhutanese hospitals from October 2014 to June 2015. Obvious causes of fever were excluded clinically. Clinico-demographic information and acute blood samples were collected. Samples were tested by immunofluorescenc...
متن کاملRickettsial infection among military personnel deployed in Northern Sri Lanka
BACKGROUND Military personnel deployed in field actvities report on frequent tick bites. Therefore they may run the risk of exposure to rickettsial organisms. METHODS In order to assess the risk of exposure to rickettsial organisms, two groups of military personnel who were deployed in field activities of Nothern Sri Lanka were investigated. The first group was studied in order to assess the ...
متن کاملEpidemiologic Investigation of Acute Q Fever in North of Iran
Background and purpose: Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis which is an endemic in many regions. Its diagnosis is usually missed especially in human. This research aimed at investigating acute Q fever among suspected patients in northern Iran. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 56 suspected cases of Q fever selected from 476 febrile patients admitted in Qaemshahr R...
متن کاملQ fever a Forgotten Disease in Iran
There have already been a few studies on Q fever in Iran and most of them go back to more than 50 years ago. Preliminary serologic studies on ruminants and febrile patients in Southeast Iran show a high seropositivity in this region. Misdiagnosis as well as poor attention of public health authorities to this infection can facilitate the epidemic spread of Q fever. Further studies on the diagnos...
متن کامل