title: Pediatric scrub typhus in Indian Himalayas.
abstract: To retrospectively confirm the suspected rickettsial disease (Scrub typhus) using a gold standard diagnostic test i.e. microimmunofluorescence in pediatric patients with acute febrile illness of unknown etiology. Two serological tests, Weil-Felix and Microimmunofluorescence were used to confirm infection. All five children had fever, vomiting and generalized lymphadenopathy, but none had eschar or rash. One was cured with doxycycline, remaining four patients treated with azithromycin and one died despite treatment. Scrub typhus is a cause of fever of unknown origin in Himalayan region of India and azithromycin is an effective alternative to doxycycline in treating this disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, IG Medical College, Shimla, HP, India. sanjay_mahajan64@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Sanjay K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mahajan
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rolain
authors.forename: Naveen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sankhyan
authors.forename: Ram Krishan
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Kaushal
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005335:Fever of Unknown Origin / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D012285:Orientia tsutsugamushi / Q000276:immunology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012612:Scrub Typhus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017963:Azithromycin; D004318:Doxycycline