Journal List > Infect Chemother > v.40(6) > 1075434

Kim, Kim, Kim, Kim, Jeon, Park, Jang, Park, Kim, Oh, and Choe: A Case of Tsutsugamushi Disease after Traveling to the Philippines

Abstract

Infectious diseases imported from other countries have increased as more and more Koreans are going abroad for various purposes. Tsutsugamushi disease from other endemic area such as Southeast Asia is important, because it can occur in any season and eschar may be absent. We report a case of imported tsutsugamushi disease acquired in the Philippines. A patient presented with fever, headache, and maculopapular skin rash. However, eschar was absent. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for 56-kDa gene of Orientia tsutsugamushi using buffy coat was positive. Serum indirect immunofluorescent antibody assay was initially negative but became positive with a titer of 1:320 at follow-up. Sequencing analysis revealed the strain to be 100% identical to the TW73R strain identified in Taiwan. After the patient received doxycycline, body temperature normalized in 12 hours. Tsutsugamushi disease is one of the differential diagnoses that should be included for patients with fever who have recently returned from Southeast Asian countries. PCR for O. tsutsugamushi using patient's buffy coat was useful for early diagnosis.

Figures and Tables

Figure 1
Maculopapular rash on trunk (A) and lower extremities (B) of tsutsugamushi patient.
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Figure 2
Phylogenetic tree analysis based on the nucleotide sequences of 56-kDa gene of O. tsutsugamushi with reference strains from Asian countries. The tree was constructed by Clustal W method. Our case is marked as SNUH_case and was deposited in GenBank under accession number EU 784087.
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