ABSTRACT
Sylvatic typhus is an infrequent, potentially life-threatening emerging zoonotic disease. In January of 2009, the New York State Department of Health was notified of a familial cluster of two suspected cases. Due to the paucity of typhus cases in New York, epidemiologic and environmental investigations were conducted to establish rickettsial etiology and determine potential sources of infection. Patients presented with symptoms consistent with typhus, and serologic testing of each patient confirmed infection with typhus group rickettsiae. Serologic analysis of blood obtained from southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) captured from the attic crawlspace above an enclosed front porch of the cases' residence indicated evidence of infection with Rickettsia prowazekii, with 100% seroprevalence (n=11). Both patients reported spending significant time on the porch and hearing animal activity above the ceiling prior to onset of illness, implicating these flying squirrels as the likely source of infection.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Bacterial/blood , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Rickettsia prowazekii/immunology , Sciuridae/microbiology , Typhus, Epidemic Louse-Borne/epidemiology , Animals , Disease Reservoirs , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , New York/epidemiology , Rickettsia prowazekii/isolation & purification , Seroepidemiologic Studies , Typhus, Epidemic Louse-Borne/microbiology , Young Adult , ZoonosesABSTRACT
From 1998 to 2002, a total of 299 bat incidents were reported at 109 children's camps in New York; 1,429 campers and staff were involved, and 461 persons received rabies treatment. In 53.8% of the incidents, the bat was captured and samples tested negative for rabies virus, which resulted in 61.3% of persons not receiving rabies treatment.
