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- Title
The prevalence of vector-borne diseases among patients with fever of unknown origin in a Bulgarian hospital.
- Authors
Baymakova, M.; Plochev, K.; Dikov, I.; Kundurdjiev, T.; Popov, G. T.; Kovaleva, V.
- Abstract
OBJECTIVE Fever of unknown origin (FUO) is a puzzling condition. The causes of FUO can be classified in five groups: infections, neoplasia, non-infectious inflammatory diseases, miscellaneous and undiagnosed causes. Vector-borne diseases are important emerging illnesses globally. The aim of this study was to estimate their prevalence and to describe the clinical and laboratory features of patients with vector-borne diseases presenting as FUO. METHOD Retrospective analysis was made of the characteristics of 78 patients with febrile syndrome investigated over a period of 4 years at the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Military Medical Academy (Sofia, Bulgaria). All patients underwent a thorough medical history, physical examination and laboratory investigations and the final diagnosis was based on clinical, epidemiological and laboratory data. RESULTS The modified Petersdorf-Beeson criteria for FUO were fulfilled by 54 of the patients. A definitive diagnosis was made in 45 and infectious diseases were established in 32 (59.3%) cases. Vector-borne diseases were identified in 10 patients. The diagnosis was determined in 7 as Rickettsioses (R. conorii 2/10 and C. burnetii 5/10), co-infection with C. burnetii and C. pneumoniae in one, and Lyme disease in two patients. CONCLUSIONS The leading cause of FUO among the Bulgarian population is infectious diseases, in agreement with other published data from South-East Europe. Among infections, the illnesses caused by arthropod-transmitted disease are not rare: 31.3% of all infections. Explanations for these results include the geographical location, climate and level of economic development.
- Subjects
DISEASE prevalence; DISEASE vectors; FEVER
- Publication
Archives of Hellenic Medicine / Arheia Ellenikes Iatrikes, 2016, Vol 33, Issue 5, p656
- ISSN
1105-3992
- Publication type
Article