Abstract
Physicians caring for febrile returned travelers face the difficult task of recognizing the typical and atypical features of more than 16 known rickettsial diseases and separating these diseases from potentially serious nonrickettsial diseases. Currently available diagnostic tools are inadequate for timely diagnosis. This review summarizes the English-language literature concerning imported rickettsial diseases in international travelers and describes important clinical principles in diagnosis and treatment of these illnesses. -Travelers with imported rickettsial disease often become sick before or within a few days of return from an endemic region. Illness that begins more than 18 days after return is unlikely to be rickettsial in origin. The absence of a skin rash or exposure to a vector should not dissuade clinicians from considering the possibility of a rickettsial disease in a returned traveler. Finally, if empiric therapy does not result in defervescence within 48 hours, an alternative nonrickettsial illness should be strongly considered.
TY - JOUR
T1 - Scrub typhus and rickettsial diseases in international travelers: a review.
AU - Hendershot,Edward F,
AU - Sexton,Daniel J,
PY - 2008/12/20/entrez
PY - 2008/12/20/pubmed
PY - 2008/12/20/medline
SP - 66
EP - 72
JF - Current infectious disease reports
JO - Curr Infect Dis Rep
VL - 11
IS - 1
N2 - Physicians caring for febrile returned travelers face the difficult task of recognizing the typical and atypical features of more than 16 known rickettsial diseases and separating these diseases from potentially serious nonrickettsial diseases. Currently available diagnostic tools are inadequate for timely diagnosis. This review summarizes the English-language literature concerning imported rickettsial diseases in international travelers and describes important clinical principles in diagnosis and treatment of these illnesses. -Travelers with imported rickettsial disease often become sick before or within a few days of return from an endemic region. Illness that begins more than 18 days after return is unlikely to be rickettsial in origin. The absence of a skin rash or exposure to a vector should not dissuade clinicians from considering the possibility of a rickettsial disease in a returned traveler. Finally, if empiric therapy does not result in defervescence within 48 hours, an alternative nonrickettsial illness should be strongly considered.
SN - 1523-3847
UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/19094827/full_citation
L2 - http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&PAGE=linkout&SEARCH=19094827.ui
DB - PRIME
DP - Unbound Medicine
ER -
