HOMEPRODUCTSCOMPANYCONTACTFAQResearchDictionaryPharmaSign Up FREE or Login

Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory features of murine typhus in central Tunisia.

AbstractOBJECTIVE:
Murine typhus is an endemic zoonosis. It is difficult to diagnose because of its non-specific clinical manifestations. Our objective was to describe the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and treatment features of murine typhus.
METHODS:
We conducted a retrospective study of 73 adult patients hospitalized for murine typhus from 2006 to 2011. The diagnosis was confirmed by a single titer of IgM≥128 or by seroconversion to typhus group antigen identified by indirect fluorescent assay.
RESULTS:
The mean age of patients was 33.1 years (range, 13-68 years). Thirty-eight patients (52%) lived in rural or suburban areas; neither fleabites nor exposure to rats were reported. The most common clinical symptoms were: fever, headache, and myalgia. A maculopapular and non-confluent rash was observed in 47 patients (64.4%). No inoculation eschar was observed in any patient. Eight patients presented with interstitial pneumonia and two with lymphocytic meningitis. The diagnosis was confirmed by indirect fluorescence assay in every case. A single titer of IgM ≥ 128 was found in 62 (84.9%) cases. The other 11 cases were diagnosed by seroconversion. All patients were given antibiotics. Tetracyclines were prescribed in 57 cases (78%). The two patients presenting with meningitis were treated with fluoroquinolone. The outcome was favorable for all patients and no relapse was observed.
CONCLUSION:
The features of murine typhus are non-specific. The definitive diagnosis is based on serologic testing by indirect fluorescent assay. Cyclins were the most prescribed antibiotics.
AuthorsA Aouam, A Toumi, H Ben Brahim, C Loussaief, B Jelliti, F Ben Romdhane, S Ben Yahia, M Khairallah, M Chakroun
JournalMedecine et maladies infectieuses (Med Mal Infect) Vol. 45 Issue 4 Pg. 124-7 (Apr 2015) ISSN: 1769-6690 [Electronic] France
PMID25687303 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
CopyrightCopyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
Chemical References
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
Topics
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents (therapeutic use)
  • Endemic Diseases (statistics & numerical data)
  • Exanthema (etiology)
  • Female
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect
  • Humans
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial (drug therapy, etiology)
  • Male
  • Meningitis, Bacterial (drug therapy, etiology)
  • Middle Aged
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Seasons
  • Tunisia (epidemiology)
  • Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne (blood, complications, diagnosis, drug therapy, epidemiology)
  • Young Adult

Join CureHunter, for free Research Interface BASIC access!

Take advantage of free CureHunter research engine access to explore the best drug and treatment options for any disease. Find out why thousands of doctors, pharma researchers and patient activists around the world use CureHunter every day.
Realize the full power of the drug-disease research graph!


Choose Username:
Email:
Password:
Verify Password:
Enter Code Shown: