ackground : Tsutsugamushi disease is one of the important acute febrile illnesses with the high incidence during the fall throughout Korea, especially in rural areas.
Also in Chonbuck area, its prevalence is high and so we accumulated 98 cases from the
year of 1986 to 1991 and observed their clinical characteristics.
Method : The serologic patterns of the all 98 patients were studied as follows; Weil-Felix
reaction was tested in the Serologic Diagnostic Departmemnt of the Korea National Institute
of Health and Indirect Immunofluoscent Antibody test, Complement Fixation Test and
IgM-specific dot-ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbant assay) were tested in the Department
of Microbiology, Collage of Medicine, Seoul National University.
Results :
1) There is annual increase of the tsutsugamushi disease cases in Chonbuck are a; 5
cases in the year of 1986, 19 cases in 1988, 20 cases in 1989, 23 cases in 1990 and 31 cases
in 1991.
2) There was peak occurrence between October (41 cases, 42%) and November (56 cases,
57%). Large proportion of the patients were over 40 years old (67 cases, 69%). Patients were
distributed throughout the whole area of Chonbuck province and the rate of male to female
was 1 : 1.25 (44 cases to 54 cases).
3) lness was characterized by severe headache, fever, chillness, myalgia,
maculopapularashes, escar, and lymphadenopathies. Laboratory tests showed elevated abnormal
liver function tests, lymphocytosis, elevated ESR, pyuria and proteinuria.
4) Treatment was so effectively carried out by the doxycycline, chloramphenicol orulfamycin
medication that clinical symptoms and signs were improved 2-3 days after onset of treatment.
Conclusion : Tsutsugamushi disease is an important acute febrile illness in the Chonbuck
province area, it has peak occurrence between October and November. There is tendency of
increase in its occurrence, so we need adequate control method.
|