ackground : Tsutsugamushi disease is a common febrile illness. For the better understanding it, we need more studies on its clinical and epidemiological characterisics.
Methods : We analyzed clinically and epidemiologically 218 cases of tsutsugamushi disease
which were diagnosed at St. Columban Hospital in 1990 and 1991.
Results : Of 218 cases, the age distribution ranged from teen-agers to the nineties: the
50's, 31.7%: the 60's, 23.4%: and the 40's, 22.5%. Among them, 104 cases were males and
114 cases were females. The ratio of male and female was 1: 1.1.
The monthly incidence rates were November, 67.4%: October, 24.3%: December, 7.8%: and
September, 0.5%.
The frequent symptoms and their rates were as follows: fever and chills, 97%: myalgia,
96%: headache, 95%: and fatigue, 83%. Rash, eschar, and lymphadenopathy were observed at
the rate of 96%, 85.6%, and 39.4%, respectively.
The laboratory findings showed such percentages as elevation of AST, 91.7%: ALT,
68.8%: and alkaline phosphatase, 57.2%. The positive indirect immunofluorescent antibody test
and cross serologic reaction rate of Hantavirus and Tsutsugamushi were observed at the
rates of 62.4%, 11.5%, respectively. Increased interstitial markings of the chest X-ray were
also observed in 59 cases (27.1%).
There were good responses to the treatment of doxycycline and chloramphenicol, but no
responses to the other antibiotics such as ampicillin and cephapirin.
Conclusion : Tsutsugamushi disease is an acute febrile illness which is characterized by
fever and chills, headache, mylagia, rash, and eschar during autumn and early winter, therfore
we make every efforts for the early diagnosis and treatmant before serologic examination.
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