Volume 15, Number 7—July 2009
CME ACTIVITY - Research
Cluster of Sylvatic Epidemic Typhus Cases Associated with Flying Squirrels, 2004–2006
Table 1
Characteristics of patients with flying squirrel–associated sylvatic typhus, Pennsylvania, USA, 2004–2006*
Patient no. (age, y)* | Date of illness onset | Exposure‡ |
Hospitalized | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Touched flying squirrel | Slept in bunk B | Serologic titer (date) |
Clinical sign§ |
||||||||
IgG | IgM | Fever, °C | Headache | Photophobia | |||||||
1 (31) | 2006 Jan | No | A | 512 (2006 Feb) | 4,096 (2006 Feb) | 39.6 | Yes | No | Yes | ||
2 (39) | 2004 Dec | Yes | F | 1,024 (2006 Mar) | 512 (2006 Mar) | 40.3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
3 (26) | 2005 Jan | No | F | 128 (2006 Mar) | ND | 39.4 | No | No | No | ||
4 (26) | 2005 Dec | No | S | 256 (2006 Mar) | ND | 39.8 | Yes | Yes | No |
*Ig, immunoglobulin titer against Rickettsia prowazekii; ND, not done.
†All patients were male.
‡All patients lived in cabin A. A, always; F, frequently; S, sometimes.
§All patients had chills and muscle pain but not rash.