Volume 15, Number 6—June 2009
Dispatch
Diagnosis of Queensland Tick Typhus and African Tick Bite Fever by PCR of Lesion Swabs
Jin-Mei Wang, Bernard J. Hudson
, Matthew R. Watts, Tom Karagiannis, Noel J. Fisher, Catherine Anderson, and Paul Roffey
, Matthew R. Watts, Tom Karagiannis, Noel J. Fisher, Catherine Anderson, and Paul RoffeyTable
PCR results by specimen, relation to clinical signs, and doses of doxycycline taken, Australia*
| Case no. | Specimen type | Duration of lesion, d | Duration of fever, d | No. 100-mg doxycycline doses | PCR result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||||
| EDTA | Blood, EDTA | NA | 3 | 2 | |
| Eschar | Eschar, Amies, dry | 6 | 3 | 2 | |
| Eschar | Eschar, virus, dry | 6 | 3 | 2 | + |
| Vesicle | Vesicle, virus, dry | 6 | 3 | 2 | + |
| Vesicle |
Vesicle, virus, dry |
7 |
4 |
4 |
– |
| 2 | |||||
| Blood | Blood, EDTA | NA | 3 | 0 | – |
| Eschar | Eschar, Amies, dry | 6 | 3 | 0 | + |
| Eschar | Eschar, virus, dry | 8 | 5 | 0 | + |
| Eschar | Eschar, virus, saline | 10 | 7 | 4 | + |
| Vesicle | Vesicle, Amies, dry | 1 | 3 | 0 | – |
| Vesicle | Vesicle, virus, dry | 3 | 5 | 0 | – |
| Vesicle | Vesicle, virus, saline | 5 | 7 | 4 | – |
| Palatal lesion |
Lesion, virus, dry |
5 |
7 |
4 |
+ |
| 3 | |||||
| Blood | Blood, EDTA | NA | 1 | 0 | – |
| Eschar | Eschar, virus, saline | 10 | 2 | 1 | + |
| Vesicle |
Vesicle, virus, saline |
6 |
2 |
1 |
+ |
| 4 | |||||
| Blood | Blood, EDTA | NA | 5 | 2 | – |
| Eschar | Eschar, virus, dry | 10 | 5 | 2 | + |
| Vesicle | Vesicle, virus, dry | 4 | 5 | 2 | + |
| Vesicle | Vesicle, virus, dry | 4 | 5 | 2 | + |
*NA, not applicable.
