Tropical Medicine and Global Health Lecture series: Tropical infectious diseases found in Southeast and South Asia Rapeephan R. Maude, MD, MSc, DTM&H Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital Mahidol University
Clinical Vignette 50 y/o American female visiting Bangkok, Thailand in August 2022 (rainy season) presented to your clinic with high fever, periorbital headache, generalized muscle pain for 2 days. Labs showed hemoconcentration, thrombocytopenia and leukopenia with lymphocyte predominated. What is the most likely diagnosis? A. Malaria B. Dengue C. Scrub typhus D. Chikungunya E. Leptospirosis
Dengue • Arboviral infection • Dengue virus (DENV) belonging to the Flaviviridae family • Found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas. • DENV serotypes – DENV1-4 – co-circulate around the tropical disease and cause human infection. • It is possible to infect 4 times https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue. Accessed on 8th December 2022 Zeyaullah M, et al. Vaccines. 2022
Severe dengue • Life-threatening spectrum • Leading causes of serious illness and death in some Asian and Latin American countries • Rapid diagnosis and proper management are crucial. • Early detection of disease progression associated with severe dengue and access to medical care lowers fatality rates to below 1% in WHO report in 2022. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue. Accessed on 8th December 2022
Clinical vignette • 31/M soldier working at Thai-Cambodia border found to have fever every 1-2 days, chills, rigors. His blood smear showed…. What is the most likely Dx? A. Plasmodium falciparum B. Plasmodium vivax C. Plasmodium malariae D. Plasmodium ovale E. Plasmodium knowlesi
Clinical vignette • 31 y/o male working at Thai-Cambodia border found to have fever every 2 days, chills, rigors. His blood smear showed…. What is the most likely Dx? A. Plasmodium falciparum B. Plasmodium vivax C. Plasmodium malariae D. Plasmodium ovale E. Plasmodium knowlesi
Malaria • Most devastating tropical infectious disease • Approximately 229 million infections per year • Over 400,000 deaths per year worldwide • Worse situation after COVID-19 pandemic https://www.drugtargetreview.com/news/54877/new-capillary-model-could-provide-new-therapies-for-malaria/ Accessed on 13th February 2022 WHO Guidelines for malaria. WHO Guidelines Approved by the Guidelines Review Committee. Geneva, 2021
Sir Ronald Ross (1857-1932) Ross made his landmark discovery and proved the role of Anopheles mosquitoes in the transmission of malaria parasites in human. www.nobelprize.org
Malaria in Thailand: • P. vivax approximately 80% and P. falciparum <20% • P. knowlesi, P. malariae and P. ovale rare https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/malaria/index.html Accessed on 13thFebruary 2022
Key characteristics for each Plasmodium spp. Species Characteristics Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) invades RBCs of all ages and thus can causes the most severe disease via microvascular and organ-damage. Plasmodium vivax (Pv) invades reticulocytes and can cause severe diseases; can persist in hepatocytes as hypnozoites for months to years. Plasmodium ovale (Po) can also persist in hepatocytes for months to year. Plasmodium ovale curtisi (P. o. curtisi) and Plasmodium ovale wallikeri (P. o. wallikeri). Plasmodium malariae (Pm) causes low level parasitemia and is typically a mild disease. Plasmodium knowlesi (Pk) morphologically resembles PM but causes severe diseases like PF or PV. Niche area in SEA esp. Malaysia, Thailand Plasmodium simium (Ps) morphologically resembles PV. Niche area in Brazil.
Rapid Diagnostic tests (RDTs) Immuno-chromatographic tests • PfHRP2-based RDTs: unable to distinguish new infections from recently and effectively treated infections, due to the persistence of PfHRP2 in the blood for 1–5 weeks after effective treatment • Not suitable for Amazon region due to variable frequencies of HRP2 deletions in P. falciparum parasites • poor sensitivity for detecting P. malariae and P. ovale; • the heterogeneous quality
Immunodiagnosis and NAAT • Immunodiagnosis • Nucleic acid amplification test(NAAT) methods • PCR • Loop-mediated isothermal amplification Useful for studies of drug resistance and other specialized epidemiological investigations
Treatment of complicated/severe malaria IV Artesunate ACT (3d) IV Quinine ACT (3d) OR Quinine + doxycycline/clindamycin (7d) OR Artesunate + doxycycline/clindamycin (7d) ACT: Artemisinin-Combination Therapy = One of the artemisinin drug class with a partner drug
Vaccines against malaria RTS,S/AS01 R: Repeat region of circumsporozoite protein of Pf T: T-cell epitopes of CSP S: Hepatitis B Surface Antigen; HBsAg S: Free ‘S’ Protein AS: adjuvant system https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/malaria/index.html Accessed on 1st March 2022
Case AZ • 65 y/o female, farmer from Bangladesh, presented with tenderness at right axilla for 2 days. • She developed a small wound at her right 2nd finger while in the rice farm 12 days prior to visit. • Incision and drainage showed yellowish pus as in the future.
Melioidosis • Burkholderia pseudomallei • A small, motile, Gram-negative , non-fermentative bacillus • Environmental saprophyte found in soil and water in the tropics. • Acquired through inoculation or inhalation from soil or water containing the organisms
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified Burkholderia pseudomallei for the first time in the environment in the continental United States. https://www.emergency.cdc.gov/han/2022/pdf/CDC_HAN_470.pdf. Accessed on 8th December 2022
Clinical manifestations • • • • Incubation period 1-21 days (median 9 days). Most infection are probably asymptomatic Acute disease is defined as symptoms lasting for less than 2 months before diagnosis. Latent infection with reactivation - as long as 26-62 years in the US following Vietnam war. Pneumonia Skin ulcers Abscesses (liver, spleen, parotid gland) Genitourinary Septic arthritis and osteomyelitis Encephalomyelitis Bacteremia and septic shock
Diagnosis • Culture is the gold standard Culture • Serology • Melioid titer using indirect haemagglutination assay (IHA) **not recommended due to low sensitivity and specificity Indirect Haemagglutination Assay (IHA)
TMP-SMX is not inferior to TMP-SMX plus doxycycline for the oral phase of melioidosis treatment, and is preferable on the basis of safety and tolerance by patients. Chetchotisakd P, et al. Lancet 2013
Enteric fever • Foodborne illness, often in an outbreak setting • severe systemic illness with fever and abdominal pain. • Classic organisms: Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi and Salmonella enterica serotype Paratyphi A, B, C • Nontyphoidal Salmonellae: S. enteritidis and S. typhimurium. • Severe cases associated with HIV infection. • Incubation period: 5-12 days • Human are the only reservoir for S. Typhi. • Chronic carriage: excretion of organism in stool or urine > 12 months after acute infection. www.microbwiki.com
Classic clinical presentation Fever with chills. Relative bradycardia. Pulse-temperature dissociation. Abdominal pain and rose spots Intestinal bleeding or perforation, hepatosplenomegaly, secondary bacteremia, peritonitis and septic shock. Rose spots: faint salmon-colored macules on trunk and abdomen Parry CM, et al. NEJM 2002
Treatment for Salmonella spp. Treatment is not recommended for mild-to-moderate gastroenteritis in immunocompetent patients ->>> self-limiting • Treatment is for • Severe illnesses • High risk group e.g. extreme age-- young children, elderly • Immunocompromised • Primary regimen – ciprofloxacin OR ceftriaxone 7-14 days • Alternative regimen – cefixime, azithromycin, chloramphenicol, Bactrim • Severe typhoid fever (caused by S. typhi) -> consider concomitant dexamethasone
Other aspects of Salmonella infection • Perforation of Peyer’s patch -> complications in the 3rd week of illnesses • Chronic carrier found commonly in patients with cholelithiasis -> 1-6% • Relapse 1-6% if treated with first-line regimen and 10-20% with second-line regimen
Typhoid fever patients had lower microbiota richness and alpha diversity and a higher prevalence of potentially pathogenic bacterial taxa. Haak BW, et al. OFID 2020
Clinical Vignette 31 y/o female from Florida visiting Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, presented with high fever, rash and multiple joint pain for 5 days. Many people in the same tour got similar symptoms. What is the most likely diagnosis? A. B. C. D. E. Malaria Dengue Scrub typhus Chikungunya Zika
DDx Dengue thrombocytopenia, shock Chikungunya joint pains, milder illness than dengue Yellow fever transaminitis, jaundice, no vaccine prior to travel to endemic area Leptospirosis conjunctival suffusion, hyperbilirubinemia out of proportion to transaminitis
Scrub typhus • Orientia tsutsugamushi (previously called Rickettsia tsutsugamushi) • Obligate intracellular coccobacilli • There are three variants or strains – Karp, Gilliam and Kato. • Infection with one strain does not preclude reinfection with a different strain. • Transmitted to humans through the bite of the larval stage of infected chigger mites. www.sciencephoto.com
Scrub typhus • Incubation period : 7-10 days after the bite of chigger mites • A major cause of acute febrile illness in the Asia-Pacific region with some reports in South America and Africa. Risk factors • Farmers • Young children and 40-60 years old • Summer and Autumn
Diagnosis • Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) – gold standard but need expertise and infrastructure • A four-fold rise in titers over a 14-day period is conclusive • ELISA – new gold standard. More convenient and higher sensitivity • PCR – technically difficult • In vitro isolation of O. tsutsugamushi – need a biosafety level 3 facility
Scrub typhus: treatment • Doxycycline – drug of choice • Chloramphenicol – high potency but more toxicity particularly bone marrow suppression • Azithromycin in pregnant women
Leprosy (Hansen’s disease) • Caused by Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis • Obligated intracellular parasites • Acid-fast organism • Involves the skin and peripheral nerves • Early diagnosis is important to decrease the risk for permanent disability. https://www.uptodate.com. Accessed on 23rd September 2022
Leprosy • The top five countries reporting new cases are India, Brazil, Indonesia, Nepal, and Bangladesh • Risk factors Close contact with patients With leprosy Amadillo exposure Immunosuppression such as HIV, organ transplant The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) https://www.wildtexas.com/nine-banded-armadillo-dasypus-novemcinctus/ accessed on 23rd September 2022
Leprosy ●Hypopigmented or reddish patch(es) on the skin ●Diminished sensation or loss of sensation within skin patch(es) ●Paresthesias (tingling or numbness in the hands or feet) ●Painless wounds or burns on the hands or feet ●Lumps or swelling on the earlobes or face ●Tender, enlarged peripheral nerves https://www.uptodate.com. Accessed on 23rd September 2022
Rabies • Causes by the Rabies virus • different variants and species of neurotropic viruses in the Rhabdoviridae family, genus Lyssavirus. • HIGHEST CASE FATALITY rate of any human infectious disease. https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/about.html Accessed on 23rd September 2022
Rabies – clinical manifestations Prodromal symptoms Clinical rabies Final state • Non-specific symptoms such as fever, weakness, anorexia, N/V, headache. • 2-7 days • Encephalitic (furious) 80% - Fever, hydrophobia, pharyngeal spasms, hyperactivity, coma and death • Paralytic (dumb) – mimic Guillain-Barre syndrome • Most patients with rabies die within 2 weeks after coma. • A few cases of survivors found to have a severe neurological damage
Tetanus immunization in animal bites • early and vigorous cleansing with soap and water • use of an antiseptic with activity against rabies virus • povidone iodine • 2% benzalkonium chloride • Animal bites are at risk for tetanus
Wound management and tetanus prophylaxis Previous dose of tetanus toxoid < 3 doses or unknown ≥ 3 doses Clean and minor wound Vaccine* Immunoglobulin** contaminated or large wound Vaccine* Immunoglobulin** ✓ ✓ ✓ If last dose given ≥10 years ago If last dose given ≥5 years ago *Vaccine – tetanus toxoid containing vaccine such as DT, DtaP, Td, Tdap or TT **Immunoglobulin – human tetanus immune globulin Persons with HIV infection or severe immunodeficiency who have contaminated wounds should receive human tetanus immune globulin, regardless of their history of tetanus immunization. 1.Havers FP, et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020; 2. Liang JL, et al. MMWR Recomm Rep 2018
Postexposure rabies prophylaxis Postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) should be administered to all patients who have had a known or likely exposure to rabies even if they got prior preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
Rabies PEP Vaccination category No PrEP Biologic Rabies immune globulin (RIG) Vaccine PrEP Schedule HRIG 20 IU/kg on day 0. Most around the wound and the remaining IM at the different site from the vaccine Human diploid cell vaccine (HDCV) or Purified chick embryo cell vaccine (PCECV) 1 dose IM on day 0,3, 7 and 14 RIG - Vaccine HDCV or PCECV 1 dose on day 0 and 3