An epidemic of Oroya fever in the Peruvian Andes.
Between February and October 1987, a febrile illness killed 14 persons and seriously affected at least 14 others in Shumpillan, a remote Peruvian mountain village of 353 people. The illness was characterized by fever, headache, chills, and pallor. The fatality rate of untreated cases was 88%. The patients, 71% of whom were male, were 1-75 years of age. Fatal illnesses progressed from lethargy to coma to death in 3-60 days. Patients treated empirically with chloramphenicol survived. Bartonella bacilliformis was isolated from the whole blood of 3 patients. A serologic study revealed a high prevalence of antibodies to B. bacilliformis in the villagers. It is concluded that the villagers suffered from an epidemic of Oroya fever.
Gray
G C
GC
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, DC.
Johnson
A A
AA
Thornton
S A
SA
Smith
W A
WA
Knobloch
J
J
Kelley
P W
PW
Obregon Escudero
L
L
Arones Huayda
M
M
Wignall
F S
FS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D001473:Bartonella / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001474:Bartonella Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010568:Peru / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D002701:Chloramphenicol