Imported Flood-Related Leptospirosis From Palau: Awareness of Risk Factors Leads to Early Treatment.
We describe two Japanese travelers with leptospirosis who visited Palau. Both travelers swam in Ngardmau Falls, which was flooded for two days after typhoon Phanfone. The diagnoses were confirmed by microscopic agglutination test or polymerase chain reaction. This is the first report of leptospirosis in travelers who returned from Palau. It should be noted that choosing the appropriate test to biologically confirm leptospirosis was highly time-dependent. Awareness of the risk factors for leptospirosis, mainly that of the exposure to contaminated fresh water after a flooding, would lead to an early and appropriate treatment before the confirmed diagnosis.
Disease Control and Prevention Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Takashi
T
Matono
Disease Control and Prevention Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Satoshi
S
Kutsuna
Department of Bacteriology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan.
Nobuo
N
Koizumi
Disease Control and Prevention Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Yoshihiro
Y
Fujiya
Disease Control and Prevention Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Nozomi
N
Takeshita
Disease Control and Prevention Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Kayoko
K
Hayakawa
Disease Control and Prevention Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Shuzo
S
Kanagawa
Disease Control and Prevention Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Yasuyuki
Y
Kato
Disease Control and Prevention Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Norio
N
Ohmagari
D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002443:Ceftriaxone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever; D055868:Floods; D006801:Humans; D007919:Leptospira; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D063806:Myalgia; D019029:Palau; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D014195:Travel
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002443:Ceftriaxone