Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 18, 2026

Author Spotlight: AI-Driven Trypanosome Species Detection from Microscopic Images
08:20

Author Spotlight: AI-Driven Trypanosome Species Detection from Microscopic Images

Published on: October 27, 2023

2.9K

Orientia, rickettsia, and leptospira pathogens as causes of CNS infections in Laos: a prospective study

Sabine Dittrich1, Sayaphet Rattanavong2, Sue J Lee3

  • 1Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit (LOMWRU), Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Churchill Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

The Lancet. Global Health
|January 25, 2015
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

In Laos, Orientia tsutsugamushi, Rickettsia typhi, and Leptospira spp. are significant causes of central nervous system infections. These treatable infections are often overlooked and require greater public health attention.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Neurology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Scrub typhus (Orientia tsutsugamushi) and murine typhus (Rickettsia typhi) are common febrile illnesses in Asia.
  • Leptospirosis is also prevalent, with meningitis and meningoencephalitis as severe complications.
  • Limited data exist on the burden of these pathogens in CNS infections in endemic regions like Laos.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the prevalence and impact of Orientia tsutsugamushi, Rickettsia typhi/spp., and Leptospira spp. as causes of CNS infections in Laos.
  • To compare these infections with conventional bacterial CNS pathogens.

Main Methods:

  • 1112 patients with CNS symptoms requiring lumbar puncture were enrolled between 2003 and 2011.
  • Microbiological tests (culture, PCR, serology) were performed on blood and CSF.
  • Targeted pathogens included O tsutsugamushi, Rickettsia typhi/spp., Leptospira spp., and common bacterial/fungal agents.

Main Results:

  • 24% of patients (254/1051) had CNS infections; 35% (90/254) were caused by O tsutsugamushi, R typhi/spp., or Leptospira spp.
  • These non-conventional pathogens were significantly more frequent (9% vs 4%) than conventional bacterial infections (p<0.0001).
  • Mortality was high (27%), with 18% for these infections and 33% for conventional bacterial infections.

Conclusions:

  • Orientia tsutsugamushi, Rickettsia typhi/spp., and Leptospira spp. are important causes of CNS infections in Laos.
  • Current empirical treatment guidelines for CNS infections do not typically include antibiotics for these pathogens.
  • These neglected infections represent a substantial, treatable burden of CNS disease in endemic areas.

More Related Videos

An Electroporation Method to Transform Rickettsia spp. with a Fluorescent Protein-Expressing Shuttle Vector in Tick Cell Lines07:18

An Electroporation Method to Transform Rickettsia spp. with a Fluorescent Protein-Expressing Shuttle Vector in Tick Cell Lines

Published on: October 11, 2022

2.7K
Detecting the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia Burgdorferi, in Ticks Using Nested PCR07:20

Detecting the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia Burgdorferi, in Ticks Using Nested PCR

Published on: February 4, 2018

18.9K

Related Concept Videos

Bacterial Phylum Spirochaetes01:30

Bacterial Phylum Spirochaetes

Spirochetes, unique bacteria in the phylum Spirochaetes, are gram-negative, motile, tightly coiled, slender, and flexible. They inhabit aquatic sediments and animals, with some causing diseases like syphilis. Spirochetes are classified into eight genera based on habitat, pathogenicity, phylogeny, and characteristics.Their distinctive motility arises from endoflagella, located within the cell’s periplasm. These endoflagella anchor at the cell poles and extend along the cell length, encased...
1.4K
Arboviral Encephalitis01:25

Arboviral Encephalitis

Arboviral encephalitis refers to brain inflammation caused by arthropod-borne viruses, particularly those transmitted through mosquito vectors. Among these, West Nile virus (WNV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, is a significant public health concern. WNV is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. Human infection typically begins when an infected mosquito introduces the virus into the dermis during feeding. The primary transmission cycle involves birds as amplifying hosts...
49
Encephalitis l: Introduction01:19

Encephalitis l: Introduction

Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma, most often due to infections or autoimmune processes. It presents with neuropsychiatric features such as fever, altered mental status, behavioral changes, cognitive dysfunction, seizures, focal deficits, and sometimes autonomic instability. In some cases, the meninges are also involved, resulting in meningoencephalitis.Infectious CausesInfectious encephalitis is most commonly viral but can also result from bacterial, fungal, or parasitic...
3
Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology01:26

Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology

Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma caused by direct viral invasion or immune-mediated mechanisms triggered by infections or tumors. Both processes lead to neuronal injury, disrupted neurotransmission, and diverse neurological symptoms, often with overlapping clinical and pathological features.Autoimmune EncephalitisIn autoimmune encephalitis, antibodies target neuronal antigens on cell surfaces, synapses, or within neurons. A key example is anti-NMDAR encephalitis, which can...
3
Bacterial Meningitis I: Introduction01:22

Bacterial Meningitis I: Introduction

Bacterial meningitis is a severe, life-threatening inflammation of the meninges, particularly the pia mater and arachnoid mater, affecting the subarachnoid space, ventricles, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). If untreated, it can lead to significant neurological complications or death.Causative AgentsCommon pathogens vary with age and immune status. In adults, major organisms include Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae. Streptococcus agalactiae (group B...
3
Reservoir of Infection01:30

Reservoir of Infection

Infectious diseases arise from intricate interactions between pathogens and their reservoirs. A reservoir of infection refers to the natural habitat where a pathogen lives, grows, and multiplies, serving as a continual source of infection. Reservoirs are broadly classified as either living or nonliving, and each plays a unique role in disease transmission, significantly influencing public health interventions and control strategies.Humans act as reservoirs for a wide array of pathogens,...
67