Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40671672›Full record

ArticleTropical medicine & international health : TM & IH2025

Prevalence and risk factors for murine typhus, scrub typhus and spotted fever group rickettsioses among adolescent and adult patients presenting to Yangon General Hospital, Yangon, Myanmar.

Thomas R Bowhay, Tin Ohn Myat, Win Thandar Oo, Hla Kye Mone, Katrina J Sharples, Matthew T Robinson, Mayfong Mayxay, Paul N Newton, Stuart D Blacksell, Ampai Tanganuchitcharnchai and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Thomas R BowhayCentre for International Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9148-4837
Tin Ohn MyatCentre for International Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8387-1455
Win Thandar OoCentre for International Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6991-4180
Hla Kye MoneDepartment of Microbiology, University of Medicine 1, Yangon, Myanmar.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5551-0257
Katrina J SharplesDepartment of Mathematics and Statistics, Division of Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3821-789X
Matthew T RobinsonLao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit (LOMWRU), Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1187-2712
Mayfong MayxayLao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit (LOMWRU), Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6056-4516
Paul N NewtonLao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit (LOMWRU), Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4608-6431
Stuart D BlacksellLao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit (LOMWRU), Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6576-726X
Ampai TanganuchitcharnchaiMahidol-Oxford Tropical Research Medicine Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5439-5376
James E UssherDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9222-7680
David R MurdochDepartment of Pathology and Biomedical Science, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0070-8001
Wah Win HtikeDepartment of Microbiology, University of Medicine 1, Yangon, Myanmar.
John A CrumpCentre for International Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4529-102X

Funding

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation OPP1151153New Zealand Health Research Council through an e-ASIA Joint Research Programme 16/697Otago Medical School Collaborative Research Grant, University of Otago, New ZealandUniversity of Otago Doctoral ScholarshipUniversity of Otago Frances Cotter Scholarship and the University of Otago Postgraduate Publishing BursaryWellcome TrustWellcome Trust 220211
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo inform patient management and disease prevention, we sought to estimate the prevalence of, and identify risk factors for, scrub typhus, murine typhus, and spotted fever group rickettsioses (SFGR) among febrile patients presenting to hospital in Myanmar.

methodsWe recruited patients ≥12 years old with fever ≥38°C among those seeking care at Yangon General Hospital from 5 October 2015 through 4 October 2016. Standardised clinical and risk factor assessments were conducted. Confirmed scrub typhus, murine typhus, and SFGR infections were defined as a positive polymerase chain reaction or ≥4-fold rise in immunofluorescence assay antibody titre to Orientia tsutsugamushi, Rickettsia typhi or Rickettsia honei or Rickettsia conorii, respectively. Probable infection was defined as IgM titre ≥1:400 to O. tsutsugamushi, an IgM titre of ≥1:800 or IgG ≥1:1600 to R. typhi or an IgG titre of ≥1:200 to R. honeii or R. conorii. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression was used to identify associations.

resultsAmong 944 participants, the median (range) age was 37 (12-94) years, 444 (47.0%) were female, and 704 (74.6%) resided in rural areas. Among participants, 63 (6.7%) had confirmed or probable scrub typhus and 15 (1.6%) had confirmed or probable murine typhus. No SFGR infections were identified. The odds of confirmed or probable scrub typhus were lower among females than males (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.5, p = 0.014), lower among those earning >300,000 Kyat per month compared with those earning less than 100,000 Kyat per month (aOR 0.28, p = 0.039), and higher among agricultural workers compared with others (aOR 2.9, p = 0.004).

conclusionScrub typhus was common among patients presenting with fever in Yangon, murine typhus was uncommon, and SFGR was not found. Empiric treatment of severe febrile illness should include an antimicrobial with activity against rickettsial diseases. Public health campaigns targeting agricultural workers are recommended.

Indexed as

Scrub TyphusSpotted Fever Group RickettsiosisTyphus, Endemic Flea-BorneAdolescentAdultAgedAntibodies, BacterialFemaleHospitals, GeneralHumansMaleMiddle AgedMyanmarOrientia tsutsugamushiPrevalenceRickettsia typhiAntibodies, Bacterialendemic flea‐borne typhusepidemiologyfeverMyanmarOrientia tsutsugamushiRickettsia typhiscrub typhusspotted fever group rickettsiosis

Identifiers

PMID40671672
PMCPMC12401629

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.