title: Louse-borne relapsing fever in Ethiopian children: experience of a rural hospital.
abstract: We describe the epidemiological and clinical aspects of louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF) in a series of children attending in a rural hospital in Ethiopia during 1997-2007. From a total of 249 cases of LBRF, 154 (61.4%) were children (<15 years). The most frequent symptoms were: fever, headache, dizziness and musculoskeletal pains. The overall case fatality rate was 2.4 (10% for patients <1.1 years; 3.4% for 1.1 to 4.0 years; and 0% >4.0 years [P = 0.05]). The mortality in children was less than in adults (13.2%) (P = 0.003).
authors.affiliation: Unit of Infectious Diseases (Internal Medicine Service), Hospital General Universitario de Elche. Camí de l'Amazara, 11. 03203 Elche, Alicante, Spain. jramosrincon@yahoo.es
authors.forename: Jose Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Malmierca
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tesfamariam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001898:Borrelia / Q000145:classification; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006780:Hospitals, Rural; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008003:Phthiraptera / Q000382:microbiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012061:Relapsing Fever / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology