Comparison of clinical and laboratory data between hantavirus infection and leptospirosis: a retrospective case series study in southern Taiwan
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Published on: August 27, 2019
Shih-Hao Lo1,2,3, Tun-Chieh Chen1,3,4, Chun-Yu Lin1,3,5
1School of Medicine, Institute of Graduate, Center for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease Research, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Background:
Leptospirosis (LS) and hantavirus (HV) are rodent-borne diseases and share similar clinical manifestations, posing diagnostic challenges.
Methods:
This retrospective study compared clinical characteristics, laboratory data, complications and outcomes of 33 LS and nine HV cases in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, from 2006 to 2021.
Results:
Both LS and HV diseases had high rates of acute kidney injury (84.8% vs 66.7%) and hepatitis (65.6% vs 88.9%); LS showed more hyperbilirubinemia (70% vs 12.5% in HV, p=0.005), higher initial creatinine levels (2.9 vs 1.37, p=0.018) and elevated initial C-reactive protein (218.3 vs 28.6 mg/dl, p<0.001), but lower initial lymphocyte percentage (6.63% vs 14.2%, p=0.005) and platelets (138.7/mm3 vs 68.9, p=0.016) compared with HV. Microscopic hematuria was significantly more prevalent in LS (80% vs 28.65% in HV, p=0.016). Notably, the LS and HV groups exhibited statistically significant differences in thrombocytopenia (57.5% vs 100%, p=0.019), hyperbilirubinemia (70% vs 12.5%, p=0.005), shock (45.5% vs 0%, p=0.016) and hematuria (80% vs 28.6%, p=0.016). Neither group experienced fatalities.
Conclusions:
Fever, thrombocytopenia and acute kidney injury alert physicians to consider LS and HV for differential diagnosis. Elevated bilirubin, along with hematuria or shock, suggests a preferred diagnosis for LS.
