Island fever, or scrub typhus, is a serious disease transmitted through tick, mite, or chigger bites. It can be contracted on islands or mainland Southeast Asian countries, Pakistan, Australia, or Korea. Symptoms include high fever, headache, lymph node swelling, and rash. Treatment involves antibiotics, and prevention includes wearing protective clothing and using insect repellent.
Island fever, known medically as scrub typhus, is a serious disease transmitted to humans through tick, mite, or chigger bites. The name “Island Fever” most likely comes from the fact that most infected insects tend to live in sandy areas. Without treatment, which is a course of antibiotics, the death rate of island fever can be as high as 30%.
Island fever is a misnomer. While people on islands in the Pacific Ocean may be vulnerable, it is also possible to contract scrub typhus on the mainland of many Southeast Asian countries. It can also be contracted in Pacific Northwest countries such as Pakistan, Australia or Korea.
The first symptoms of island fever begin to emerge anywhere from 6-14 days after a bite from an infected insect. Symptoms include an extremely high fever, often between 104-105° F. (40-40.55° C.). Fever tends to be accompanied by a severe headache. Lymph node swelling is often present after about a week of the onset of the disease. Also, a palpable rash may develop on the trunk of the body by the end of the first week of illness. In rare cases, island fever can also affect the central nervous system and cause confusion, slurred speech, or hearing problems.
Diagnosing island fever tends to be done by looking at the symptoms and also through blood work, which will confirm the pathogens causing the illness. Since there are several diseases, called flavoviruses, that are similar to island fever, the diagnosis will rule them out. Once the diagnosis is made, treatment is relatively simple.
In most cases, island fever is treated with the antibiotics tetracycline or chloramphenicol. In children, however, the use of tetracycline is contraindicated because it causes permanent coloring of the teeth. The appropriate treatment for children with island fever tends to be doxycycline. Ciproflaxacin may be considered for adults or children, but this antibiotic has a high rate of side effects and tends to be used as an antibiotic of last resort.
Island fever tends to resolve before the end of antibiotic treatment, which usually lasts two weeks. However, feeling better doesn’t mean you stop taking your antibiotics. Not finishing a course of antibiotics can cause an antibiotic-resistant strain of island fever to resurface.
In rare cases, patients may need antibiotics and intravenous fluids if the disease has not been treated. Because the fever is so high and occurs frequently in very hot climates, dehydration is a particular concern and can complicate the course of island fever. Rest and drinking plenty of fluids can help prevent complications.
There is no vaccine for island fever, but you can reduce the risk of catching fever in high-risk areas by wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Using insect repellents that contain DEET can also reduce the risk of a bite. It is also possible to get island fever with these surgeries, so there is no single way to completely prevent the disease. The focus for now is on cure rather than prevention.
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