TY - JOUR AU - Demma, Linda AU - McQuiston, Jennifer AU - Nicholson, William AU - Murphy, Staci AU - Marumoto, Pearl AU - Sengebau-Kingzio, J. Maireng AU - Kuartei, Stevenson AU - Durand, A. Mark AU - Swerdlow, David T1 - Scrub Typhus, Republic of Palau T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2006 VL - 12 IS - 2 SP - 290 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Scrub typhus, caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, is a severe febrile illness transmitted to humans by trombiculid mites, which normally feed on rodents. The first known outbreak of scrub typhus in Palau occurred in 2001 to 2003 among residents of the remote southwest islands. To determine the extent of scrub typhus distribution in Palau, we tested serum samples from humans and rodents for antibodies to O. tsutsugamushi. Of 212 Palau residents surveyed in 2003, 101 (47.6%) had immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody titers >1:64, and 56 (26.4%) had concurrent IgG and IgM antibody titers >1:512 and 1:64, respectively. Of 635 banked serum samples collected from Palau residents in 1995, 34 (5.4%) had IgG antibody titers >1:64. Sera collected from rodents (Rattus norvegicus and R. rattus) in 2003 and 2005 were tested, and 18 (28.6%) of 63 had IgG antibody titers >1:64. These findings suggest that scrub typhus is endemic in Palau. KW - Orientia tsutsugamushi KW - scrub typhus KW - rickettsial disease KW - zoonotic disease KW - Tsutsugamushi disease KW - vector-borne disease KW - research KW - Palau DO - 10.3201/eid1202.050967 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/12/2/05-0967_article ER - End of Reference