title: [An outbreak of endemic typhus in Baoshan city, Yunnan province].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To understand the epidemiologic characteristics of endemic typhus in Baoshan city.
  
  
  METHODS
  Epidemiological data were collected and characteristics were analyzed. IgG antibody (Ab) of Rickettsia mooseri and Orientia tsutsugamushi in serum of patients were tested using both Weil-Felix and IFA method. The Rickettsia mooseri gltA gene, Rickettsia prowazekii gltA gene, Orientia tsutsugamushi 56 kDa protein gene, SFGR ompA gene, Ehrlichia sp. 16S rRNA gene and Anaplasma sp. 16S rRNA gene in spleen of mice were examined by PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-eight endemic typhus cases were found in Longyang district of Baoshan city, during July to August, 2009. Among them, 48 cases were confirmed by clinical diagnosis and 10 cases by laboratory tests. The Ab of Orientia tsutsugamushi Karp serotype was detected in 3 cases from laboratory diagnosis. The spleen samples from 85 Rattus flavipectus were tested using PCR. Of them, 3 samples for Rickettsia mooseri gltA gene showed positive (positive rate was 3.5%), and the homology of 3 Rickettsia mooseri and Rickettsia mooseri Wilmington strain (GenBank U59714.1) was 100% through comparing gene sequence. The results of PCR for detecting Rickettsia prowazekii, Orientia tsutsugamushi, SFGR, Anaplasma sp. and Ehrlichia. sp were all negative.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The outbreak of endemic typhus was confirmed in Longyang district of Baoshan city through epidemiological data, clinical diagnosis and laboratory tests. Rickettsia mooseri DNA was detected in the dominant Rattus flavipectus, suggesting that endemic typhus did exist in the local areas.
authors.affiliation: Yunnan Institute of Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali 671000, China. yahongxiang@163.com
authors.forename: Hong-xiang
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Ya
authors.forename: Hai-lin
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ji-hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Heng-xian
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Xiao-ze
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Gui-juan
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Wei-bin
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Wen-li
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051381:Rats; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology; D014437:Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult