The epidemiology and clinical features of rickettsial diseases in North Queensland, Australia: Implications for patient identification and management.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Rickettsial infections are a common cause of hospitalization in tropical settings, although early diagnosis is challenging in the rural locations where these infections are usually seen.

Methods

This retrospective, clinical audit of microbiologically-confirmed cases of scrub typhus or spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsial infection between 1997 and 2016 was performed a tertiary referral hospital in tropical Australia. Clinical, laboratory and radiological findings at presentation were correlated with the patients' subsequent clinical course.

Results

There were 135 locally-acquired cases (95 scrub typhus, 37 SFG, 3 undifferentiated). There were nine hospitalizations during the first 5 years of the study period and 81 in the last 5 years (p for trend = 0.003)

SUBMITTER: Stewart AGA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6667154 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature