title: A serological survey of rickettsial infections in the Gazelle Peninsula, East New Britain and a review of the literature.
abstract: Of the various rickettsial diseases, only scrub typhus has been well documented in Papua New Guinea. A review of the historical literature confirms this. A serological survey was conducted on 113 antenatal patients presenting to a district hospital in Kokopo, East New Britain. Results suggested that a spotted fever rickettsial infection is common in this area with a seroprevalence of about 17% in young women. There was no evidence of scrub typhus or murine (endemic) typhus in the population sampled. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: St Mary's Hospital Vunapope, Kokopo, Papua New Guinea.
authors.forename: Antony G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Faa
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Graves
authors.forename: Chelsea
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stenos
mesh_terms: D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D010219:Papua New Guinea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012612:Scrub Typhus / Q000453:epidemiology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies