Volume 9, Number 10—October 2003
Dispatch
Flying Squirrel–associated Typhus, United States
Mary G. Reynolds*
, John W. Krebs*, James A. Comer*, John W. Sumner*, Thomas C. Rushton†, Carlos E. Lopez‡, William L. Nicholson*, Jane A. Rooney§, Susan E. Lance-Parker¶, Jennifer H. McQuiston*, Christopher D. Paddock*, and James E. Childs*
, John W. Krebs*, James A. Comer*, John W. Sumner*, Thomas C. Rushton†, Carlos E. Lopez‡, William L. Nicholson*, Jane A. Rooney§, Susan E. Lance-Parker¶, Jennifer H. McQuiston*, Christopher D. Paddock*, and James E. Childs*Table
Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of flying squirrel–associated typhus fever in the United States, 1984–2002a
| Characteristic |
Case no. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I |
IIb |
III |
IV |
|
| Sex |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Male |
| Age (y) |
54 |
54 |
44 |
57 |
| State of residence |
Massachusetts |
North Carolina |
West Virginia |
Georgia |
| Mo of onset |
February 1998 |
September 1999 |
January 2002 |
March 2002 |
| Flying squirrel contact |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
| Serologic titer (no. d from onset) |
||||
| IgG Rickettsia prowazekii |
4,096 (10) |
nd |
128 (53) |
8,192 (7) |
| 8,192 (13) |
||||
| 32,768 (38) |
8,192 (23) |
|||
| IgG R. typhi |
nd |
nd |
<32 (53) |
4,096 (7) |
| 4,096 (13) |
||||
| 4,096 (23) |
||||
| IgM R. prowazekii |
nd |
2,048 (18) |
1,024 (53) |
nd |
| IgM R. typhi |
nd |
512 (18) |
1,024 (53) |
nd |
| Symptoms |
||||
| Max fever (°C) |
nr |
40°C |
38°C |
40°C |
| Chills |
Y |
nr |
Y |
Y |
| Headache |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
| Rash (type, location) | nr | Y (macular, trunk) | N | Yc |
aIg, immunoglobulin; Y, yes; N, no; nd, not done; nr, not recorded.
bRecurrent illness, first episode January 1999, flying squirrel contact, rash at that time. Other symptoms associated with both episodes. Serologic titer from second episode.
cRash herpetic, not directly attributable to R. prowazekii infection but commonly seen in context of classic louse-borne epidemic typhus (8).
