Imported spotted fever rickettsioses in United States travelers returning from Africa: a summary of cases confirmed by laboratory testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1999-2002.
Am J Trop Med Hyg
; 70(1): 98-101, 2004 Jan.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-14971705
ABSTRACT
The increasing popularity of foreign travel and ecotourism places travelers at increased risk for certain tick-borne diseases. From 1999 through 2002, 31 cases of imported spotted fever-group rickettsioses (SFGR) in United States residents reporting travel to Africa were confirmed by laboratory testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nineteen patients (61%) reported visiting South Africa prior to illness onset. Most patients reported fever and one or more eschars; rash was reported for only 26% of the patients. Twelve patients had an initial non-reactive acute-phase serum sample obtained a median of three days after illness onset, and were confirmed by testing a second convalescent-phase serum sample obtained a median of 32 days after illness onset. Five patients were confirmed positive through immunohistochemical staining of skin biopsies, including three patients with acute-phase serum samples that tested negative for SFGR. This study emphasizes the importance of evaluating convalescent-phase serum specimens 28 days or more after illness onset or examining skin biopsies by immunohistochemical staining during early infection to confirm a diagnosis of imported SFGR.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Rickettsia
/
Infecções por Rickettsia
/
Doenças Transmitidas por Carrapatos
Limite:
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
Africa
/
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Am J Trop Med Hyg
Ano de publicação:
2004
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos