title: Murine typhus in southern Taiwan during 1992-2009.
abstract: Clinical information regarding murine typhus in Taiwan is limited. In this study, 81 cases of serologically documented murine typhus during 1992-2009 at four referral hospitals in southern Taiwan were analyzed. There was a significant correlation between average environmental temperature and case numbers of murine typhus (r = 0.747, P = 0.005). Acute hepatitis was found in 67% of cases, and hyperbilirubinemia (serum total bilirubin ≥ 23.9 μmol/L) was found in 38%. The intervals between the initiation of appropriate therapy to defervescence were longer in patients with hyperbilirubinemia than those without hyperbilirubinemia (6.1 versus 4.1 days; P = 0.015). Nine (11.1%) showed development of severe illnesses such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (2 patients), aseptic meningitis (3), and acute renal failure (4). Only one died of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Cases of murine typhus were often found during the summer and had acute febrile hepatitis. Those patients with hyperbilirubinemia tended to have a delayed recovery even with appropriate therapy.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Medical College, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. johnsonckk@yahoo.com.tw
authors: Ko
authors: K
authors: Chang
authors: Yen-Hsu
authors: YH
authors: Chen
authors: Nan-Yao
authors: NY
authors: Lee
authors: Hsin-Chun
authors: HC
authors: Lee
authors: Chun-Yu
authors: CY
authors: Lin
authors: Jih-Jin
authors: JJ
authors: Tsai
authors: Po-Liang
authors: PL
authors: Lu
authors: Tun-Chieh
authors: TC
authors: Chen
authors: Hsiao-Chen
authors: HC
authors: Hsieh
authors: Wei-Ru
authors: WR
authors: Lin
authors: Ping-Chang
authors: PC
authors: Lai
authors: Chia-Ming
authors: CM
authors: Chang
authors: Chi-Jung
authors: CJ
authors: Wu
authors: Chung-Hsu
authors: CH
authors: Lai
authors: Wen-Chien
authors: WC
authors: Ko
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014437:Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001663:Bilirubin