Emerging Infectious Diseases (May 2012)

Unsuspected Rickettsioses among Patients with Acute Febrile Illness, Sri Lanka, 2007

  • Megan E. Reller,
  • Champica Bodinayake,
  • Ajith Nagahawatte,
  • Vasantha Devasiri,
  • Wasantha Kodikara-Arachichi,
  • John J. Strouse,
  • Judith E. Flom,
  • Truls Østbye,
  • Christopher W. Woods,
  • J. Stephen Dumler

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1805.111563
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. 5
pp. 825 – 829

Abstract

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We studied rickettsioses in southern Sri Lanka. Of 883 febrile patients with paired serum samples, 156 (17.7%) had acute rickettsioses; rickettsioses were unsuspected at presentation. Additionally, 342 (38.7%) had exposure to spotted fever and/or typhus group rickettsioses and 121 (13.7%) scrub typhus. Increased awareness of rickettsioses and better tests are needed.

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