TY - JOUR
T1 - Epidemiological and serological study of scrub typhus among chinese military in the pescadores islands of taiwan
AU - Bourgeois, A. L.
AU - Olson, J. G.
AU - Ho, C. M.
AU - Fang, R. C.Y.
AU - Van Peenen, P. F.D.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported through funds provided by the Naval Medical Research and Development Command, Navy Department, for Work Unit MF51.524.009-0037. The opinions and assertions contained herein are those of the authors and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the U.S. Navv Department or the U.S. Naval Service at large. - - This research involved animals maintained in animal care facilities fully accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care. Reprint requests to Publications Office, NAMRU-2, Box 14, APO San Francisco 96263, U.S.A. or 7-l Kung Yuan Road, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1977
Y1 - 1977
N2 - An outbreak of 69 cases of scrub typhus occurred among Chinese military personnel stationed in the Pescadores Islands, Taiwan Province, Republic of China between May and November 1975. A retrospective epidemiological study of this outbreak indicated that military personnel over 40 were more likely to have scrub typhus than those under 40. High risk groups included the Garrison Force (home guard), anti-aircraft gunners and infantry and armoured units stationed at Hsing-jen. The onset of symptoms in 69% occurred within one year of residence in the Pescadores. The clinical course of scrub typhus and the serological response to infection were also studied. Eschar formation, fever, headache, chills and lymph node enlargement were the predominant clinical manifestations noted. The indirect immuno- fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) demonstrated diagnostic (four-fold) rises in antibody titres to Rickettsia tsutsugamushi reference strains in 36 of 41 paired sera tested. 11 of 19 patients from whom only single sera were obtained had IFA titres presumptive of scrub typhus (≥1:160). Of 19 patients experiencing possible primary infections, 13 (68%) responded with antibodies directed against more than one reference strain of R. tsutsugamushi. These results suggest that several antigenically diverse strains of R. tsutsugamushi may be active in the Pescadores.
AB - An outbreak of 69 cases of scrub typhus occurred among Chinese military personnel stationed in the Pescadores Islands, Taiwan Province, Republic of China between May and November 1975. A retrospective epidemiological study of this outbreak indicated that military personnel over 40 were more likely to have scrub typhus than those under 40. High risk groups included the Garrison Force (home guard), anti-aircraft gunners and infantry and armoured units stationed at Hsing-jen. The onset of symptoms in 69% occurred within one year of residence in the Pescadores. The clinical course of scrub typhus and the serological response to infection were also studied. Eschar formation, fever, headache, chills and lymph node enlargement were the predominant clinical manifestations noted. The indirect immuno- fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) demonstrated diagnostic (four-fold) rises in antibody titres to Rickettsia tsutsugamushi reference strains in 36 of 41 paired sera tested. 11 of 19 patients from whom only single sera were obtained had IFA titres presumptive of scrub typhus (≥1:160). Of 19 patients experiencing possible primary infections, 13 (68%) responded with antibodies directed against more than one reference strain of R. tsutsugamushi. These results suggest that several antigenically diverse strains of R. tsutsugamushi may be active in the Pescadores.
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U2 - 10.1016/0035-9203(77)90115-8
DO - 10.1016/0035-9203(77)90115-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 413217
AN - SCOPUS:0017734509
SN - 0035-9203
VL - 71
SP - 338
EP - 342
JO - Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
JF - Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
IS - 4
ER -