Joseph E. McDade

Human Infection with Ehrlichia canis, a Leukocytic Rickettsia

RICKETTSIA that are pathogenic for humans include five main antigenic groups that cause, respectively, typhus, spotted fever, scrub typhus, Q fever, and trench fever.1 There is also a group of intr...

Imported rickettsial disease: clinical and epidemiologic features.

PURPOSE AND METHODS The rickettsioses continue to constitute major health problems in many parts of the world. With increasing international travel, recognition of rickettsial diseases by physicians is becoming more important. The clinical features of four cases of rickettsial disease imported into Canada over a five-year period are presented; two patients with tick typhus (Rickettsia conorii), one patient with scrub typhus (R. tsutsugamushi), and one patient with murine typhus (R. typhi). We also present the North American data over the past 10 years from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) (Atlanta). RESULTS Since 1983 in the United States, three cases of imported scrub typhus, all after travel to India, were confirmed, as well as six cases of murine typhus after travel to southeast Asia. At the CDC, 67 imported cases of tick typhus have been confirmed by indirect fluorescent antibody test since 1976; most illnesses occurred after travel to Africa. CONCLUSION Rickettsial diseases are underrecognized by physicians, who should consider these diagnoses in travelers returning from endemic areas. Since effective treatment is available, prompt diagnosis and treatment are important. In all cases, specific serologic confirmation should be obtained.

Rickettsiaceae: The Rickettsiae

Diseases: 1) Rocky Mountain spotted fever, 2) Boutonneuse fever, 3) rickettsialpox, 4) epidemic typhus, 5) murine typhus, 6) scrub Typhus, 7) trench fever, and 8) Q-fever.

Acute Febrile Cerebrovasculitis

Excerpt To the editor: Since publication of the article by Wenzel and colleagues (1), the Centers for Disease Control has received several inquiries regarding patients with illnesses similar to tha...

H2-Antagonists and Hepatitis

Excerpt To the editor: We regret that Dr. Souza Limas review (1) was incomplete and his deductions were invalid. The evidence from worldwide clinical experience shows that hepatitis is rarely asso...

Segue: Brief summaries of articles on pertinent emerging issues published elsewhere.

Suggested Citation for this article: McDade, JE. Segue: Brief summaries of articles on pertinent emerging issues published elsewhere. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2004, Jun [date cited]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1006.040412