Acute-phase diagnosis of murine and scrub typhus in Belgian travelers by polymerase chain reaction: a case report.

BACKGROUND

Rickettsiosis is a potential life threatening infectious disease in travelers. Clinical recognition is not always straightforward, as typical manifestations such as rash and/or eschar may be absent. Definite diagnosis is based on seroconversion and therefore often delayed until the convalescent phase of disease.

CASE PRESENTATION: In this case report, we describe four patients with severe travel-related rickettsiosis (two patients with murine- and two patients with scrub typhus), in whom acute- phase diagnosis was possible by real-time polymerase chain reaction on serum or blood.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite its limitations, we think that polymerase chain reaction can contribute significantly to the early diagnosis and treatment of rickettsial disease in travelers.