Coinfection of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome and Scrub Typhus in Patients with Tick-Borne Illness

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2019 Dec;101(6):1259-1262. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0242.

Abstract

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) and scrub typhus are the most common tick-borne diseases in South Korea. However, few studies have systematically examined the simultaneous presence of the two diseases. We found that two (4.9%) of 41 patients with suspected and confirmed SFTS had evidence of coinfection with scrub typhus. In addition, two (3.6%) of 55 suspected and confirmed scrub typhus patients were identified to have coinfection with SFTS. Our data suggest that diagnostic evaluation for coinfection in patients with tick-borne illness and empirical doxycycline treatment in patients with SFTS may be warranted in areas endemic for both diseases until coinfection with scrub typhus is ruled out.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Animals
  • Bunyaviridae Infections / diagnosis*
  • Coinfection / diagnosis*
  • Coinfection / microbiology
  • Coinfection / virology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Orientia tsutsugamushi / genetics
  • Phlebovirus / genetics
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • Scrub Typhus / diagnosis*
  • Tick-Borne Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Tick-Borne Diseases / drug therapy
  • Tick-Borne Diseases / microbiology
  • Tick-Borne Diseases / virology

Substances

  • RNA, Viral