Nationwide Seroprevalence of Scrub Typhus, Typhus, and Spotted Fever in Young Thai Men

Abstract

Scrub typhus group (STG), typhus group (TG), and spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae are pathogens distributed worldwide and are important causes of febrile illnesses in southeast Asia. The levels of rickettsioses burden and distribution in Thai communities are still unclear. Nonspecific symptoms, limit diagnostic capacity and underdiagnoses contribute to the absence of clarity. The objective of this study was to determine the nationwide IgG seroprevalence of STG, TG, and SFG by ELISA in repository sera from the Royal Thai Army recruits collected during 2007–2008 and 2012 to estimate rickettsiae exposure in young Thai men to better understand rickettsiae exposure distribution in the Thai population. IgG seroprevalence of STG, Orientia tsutsugamushi; TG, Rickettsia typhi; and SFG, R. rickettsii was 12.4%, 6.8%, and 3.3% in 2007–2008 and 31.8%, 4.2%, and 4.5% in 2012, respectively. The STG had the highest seroprevalence of Rickettsia assessed, with the highest regional seroprevalence found in southern Thailand. The STG seroprevalence changed significantly from 2007 to 2008 (P value < 0.05), which corresponds with morbidity rate of scrub typhus from the last decade in Thailand. We were unable to determine the causality for seroprevalence changes between the two periods due to the limitation in sample numbers for intervening years and limited information available for archived specimens. Additional research would be required to determine agency. However, study results do confirm Rickettsia endemicity in Thailand lends weight to reports of increasing STG seroprevalence. It also corroborates the need to raise rickettsial disease awareness and educate the general public in prevention measures.

Prevalence of and factors associated with scrub typhus exposure among the hill tribe population living in high incidence areas in Thailand: a cross-sectional study

“…Schooling provides the opportunity to attain language proficiency and the subsequent understanding of health information. Similar findings were reported in India [ 37 , 38 ], Laos [ 33 ] and the northeast and southern regions of Thailand [ 35 ], with low education levels being associated with greater risks of scrub typhus infection. In contrast, several studies conducted in Vietnam [ 41 ], Korea [ 42 ], and China [ 40 ] did not show any link between education level and scrub typhus infection.…”

“…Interestingly, studies from Laos and Myanmar reported lower prevalence than that among the hill tribes in Thailand, at 20.3% and 19.0% [ 33 , 34 ], respectively. Several studies conducted in other regions of Thailand reported a lower prevalence than that among hill tribe people, with rates of 31.8% in the central region [ 35 ] and 4.2% [ 36 ] in the northeastern region of Thailand. The particularly high prevalence in the study population reflects the generally high incidence in northern Thailand and a potentially higher risk in the population of hill tribe members, who perform many high-risk activities.…”

Epidemiology, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and complications of scrub typhus infection in Nepal: a systematic review

“…Similarly, a study from South Korea reported that 20.35% of suspected cases were diagnosed as ST 32 . Notably, a higher seroprevalence of 31.8% was observed in Thai men 33 .…”

TÌNH HÌNH NHIỄM Rickettsia spp. TRÊN VẬT CHỦ VÀ NGOẠI KÍ SINH TRÙNG Ở ĐỊA BÀN ĐÓNG QUÂN MỘT SỐ ĐƠN VỊ QUÂN ĐỘI KHU VỰC PHÍA BẮC (TỪ 2021-2023)

“…Bệnh truyền thông qua vết cắn của các vector truyền bệnh, như: ve, bọ chét, chấy rận… Bệnh do Rickettsia được chia thành các nhóm khác nhau dựa vào đặc điểm lâm sàng và tác nhân gây bệnh [5]. Họ Rickettsiaceae được chia ra làm 4 nhóm chính: sốt nổi mụn, sốt phát ban, sốt dịch tễ và sốt scrub typhus [2,6]. Bệnh TÓM TẮT Mục tiêu: Đánh giá tình hình nhiễm Rickettsia spp.…”