Cluster of Sylvatic Epidemic Typhus Cases Associated with Flying Squirrels, 2004–2006

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Emerg Infect Dis
• Personal Author:
  Chapman, Alice S. ; Swerdlow, David L. ; Dato, Virginia M. ; Anderson, Alicia D. ; Moodie, Claire E. ; Marriott, Chandra ; Amman, Brian ; Hennessey, Morgan ; Fox, Perry ; Green, Douglas B. ; Pegg, Eric ; Nicholson, William L. ; Eremeeva, Marina E. ; Dasch, Gregory A.
• Description:
  In February 2006, a diagnosis of sylvatic epidemic typhus in a counselor at a wilderness camp in Pennsylvania prompted a retrospective investigation. From January 2004 through January 2006, 3 more cases were identified. All had been counselors at the camp and had experienced febrile illness with myalgia, chills, and sweats; 2 had been hospitalized. All patients had slept in the same cabin and reported having seen and heard flying squirrels inside the wall adjacent to their bed. Serum from each patient had evidence of infection with Rickettsia prowazekii. Analysis of blood and tissue from 14 southern flying squirrels trapped in the woodlands around the cabin indicated that 71% were infected with R. prowazekii. Education and control measures to exclude flying squirrels from housing are essential to reduce the likelihood of sylvatic epidemic typhus.
• Subjects:
  Adult Animals Disease Reservoirs Education, Medical, Continuing Humans Interviews As Topic Male Questionnaires Research Sciuridae Typhus, Epidemic Louse-Borne

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• Source:
  Emerg Infect Dis. 15(7):1005-1011.
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Pennsylvania
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  15
• Issue:
  7
• Collection(s):
  Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:61998abf11a949c2efe27e0c16da754e007efcd9cac1d5530f0247fee717014c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/3220/cdc_3220_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 690.80 KB ]