title: Causes of Fever in Rural Southern Laos.
abstract: The etiology of fever in rural Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos) has remained obscure until recently owing to the lack of laboratory facilities. We conducted a study to determine the causes of fever among 229 patients without malaria in Savannakhet Province, southern Laos; 52% had evidence of at least one diagnosis (45% with single and 7% with apparent multiple infections). Among patients with only one diagnosis, dengue (30.1%) was the most common, followed by leptospirosis (7.0%), Japanese encephalitis virus infection (3.5%), scrub typhus (2.6%), spotted fever group infection (0.9%), unspecified flavivirus infection (0.9%), and murine typhus (0.4%). We discuss the empirical treatment of fever in relation to these findings.
authors.forename: Mayfong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mayxay
authors.forename: Onanong
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sengvilaipaseuth
authors.forename: Anisone
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chanthongthip
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dubot-Pérès
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rolain
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parola
authors.forename: Scott B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.forename: Suhella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tulsiani
authors.forename: Mary-Anne
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Maniphone
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khanthavong
authors.forename: Siamphay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keola
authors.forename: Tiengkham
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pongvongsa
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dittrich
authors.forename: Paul N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Newton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001907:Boutonneuse Fever / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003715:Dengue / Q000453:epidemiology; D004672:Encephalitis, Japanese / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D018177:Flavivirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007812:Laos / Q000453:epidemiology; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012612:Scrub Typhus / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult