Sporadic Human Infections With <i>Rickettsia japonica</i> in Yichang, China, 2021-2023.

ABSTRACT: Japanese spotted fever (JSF) is an easily neglected infectious disease, where misdiagnosis and delayed treatment significantly contribute to poor prognoses in affected patients. Our prospective observational study (2021-2023) systematically characterized 56 JSF cases in Yichang through tripartite analysis encompassing epidemiological distributions, clinical phenotyping, and phylogenetic relationship analysis of Rickettsia japonica (R. japonica). Our study delineated distinct clinical presentations of JSF, and identified five laboratory indexes demonstrating significant associations with disease severity. Notably, thrombocytopenia (platelet deficiency) and procalcitonin (PCT) levels emerged as critical indicators, with PCT as a well-characterized inflammatory mediator showing

SUBMITTER: Ren Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12316499 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature