Scrub typhus mimicking the clinical course of infectious mononucleosis: a case report
- VernacularTitle:Scrub typhus mimicking the clinical course of infectious mononucleosis: a case report
- Author:
Yusuke WATANABE
1
;
Shouta MASHIMO
1
;
Hiroyuki ICHIGE
1
;
Hiroyuki NAGATA
1
;
Masayuki KOJIMA
2
Author Information
- Keywords: scrub typhus; Orientia tsutsugamushi; infectious mononucleosis
- From:Journal of Rural Medicine 2021;16(1):62-66
- CountryJapan
- Language:English
- Abstract: Objective: Scrub typhus is a relatively common life-threating disease; its symptoms are non-specific and similar to those of other viral infections. Therefore, scrub typhus might be underdiagnosed.Patient: Herein, we report a patient with scrub typhus whose clinical course mimicked that of infectious mononucleosis. A 63-year-old male patient with hypertension presented to our hospital complaining of symptoms including prolonged fever, pharyngeal discomfort, and a mild headache. He showed the appearance of a rash after amoxicillin administration. At the same time, he did not show a crusted rash on his body surface.Results: After a comprehensive examination, Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus infections were ruled out. We suspected that this patient suffered from scrub typhus on the basis of his usual lifestyle. Finally, polymerase chain reaction analysis showed a positive result for deoxyribonucleic acid of Orientia tsutsugamushi in his blood sample. Fortunately, he recovered naturally with only supportive treatment during his hospitalization.Conclusion: We should observe and monitor patients with infectious mononucleosis-like symptoms and emphasize the importance of a clinical interview.
