Severe Scrub Typhus with Enterocolitis by the Ikeda Strain of Orientia tsutsugamushi.
- Author:
Kyung Han KIM
1
;
Dong Sik JUNG
;
Su Young KIM
;
Bosung KIM
;
Seung Hee HAN
;
Eui Han JUNG
;
Dong Min KIM
;
Hyuck LEE
Author Information
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords: Orientia tsutsugamushi; Scrub typhus; Enterocolitis; Genotype
- MeSH: Abdominal Pain; Azithromycin; Bacterial Infections; Colon; Diarrhea; Doxycycline; Enterocolitis; Fever; Genotype; Humans; Inflammation; Intestine, Large; Korea; Lower Gastrointestinal Tract; Male; Orientia tsutsugamushi; Scrub Typhus; Shock; Sprains and Strains; Vasculitis
- From:Infection and Chemotherapy 2012;44(6):469-472
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
- Abstract: Scrub typhus is a mite-borne bacterial infection of humans that is caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, which causes generalized vasculitis. The disease may involve the tissues of any organ system but no case with involvement of the lower gastrointestinal tract has been reported. We report a case of a 39-year old Korean male with enterocolitis of severe scrub typhus, of which the serotype was Ikeda strain. The patient was admitted to hospital with fever, abdominal pain and shock. He developed multi organ failure and frequent watery diarrhea. Abdominal computed tomography revealed diffuse edematous thickening of the entire small and colon with inflammation. Three days after admission, the antibody to O. tsutsugamushi was reported to be 1:320. He improved with doxycycline and azithromycin, and the persistent watery diarrhea stopped at 24 hours. This study shows that scrub typhus should be considered when the small and large intestine are affected. For the genotype of O. tsutsugamushi in Korea, additional studies of the impact of changes in the vector distribution on the genotype distribution will be needed.
