Eamsila C, Singsawat P, Duangvaraporn A, Strickman D
Department of Epidemiology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand.
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1996 Nov;55(5):556-9. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1996.55.556.
Thai soldiers who were conscripted, Royal Thai Army forces, professional Border Patrol Police, or local militia (Thai Rangers) located in any of seven provinces of Thailand were bled in April and again, four months later, in July 1989. In 1991, soldiers from five different locations in southern Thailand were bled once, in July. Serum samples were tested by indirect fluorescent antibody assay for antibody to Orientia (formerly Rickettsia) tsutsugamushi, etiologic agent of scrub typhus, with any titer > or = 1:50 considered positive. Prior to field exercises, prevalence of antibody varied significantly between different types of units, ranging between 18.6% for Thai Rangers and 6.8% for the Royal Thai Army. The April prevalence, July prevalence, and incidence varied significantly by province in 1989, with highest incidence being 14.5% in Kanchanaburi and the lowest 0% in Utraladit. The prevalence in southern Thailand in 1991 varied between 1.6% and 6.8%. The data demonstrate that O. tsutsugamushi is widely distributed in Thailand and that military activity consisting of field exercises that simulate combat conditions significantly expose soldiers to infection.
1989年4月，泰国七省中任何一省的应征泰国士兵、泰国皇家陆军部队、职业边境巡逻警察或当地民兵（泰国游骑兵）接受采血，四个月后的7月再次采血。1991年7月，泰国南部五个不同地点的士兵接受了一次采血。血清样本通过间接荧光抗体试验检测恙虫病东方体（原立克次体）抗体，恙虫病东方体是恙虫病的病原体，任何滴度≥1:50被视为阳性。在野外演习前，不同类型部队之间的抗体流行率差异显著，泰国游骑兵为18.6%，泰国皇家陆军为6.8%。1989年，4月的流行率、7月的流行率和发病率因省份而异，最高发病率在北碧府为14.5%，最低在乌隆府为0%。1991年泰国南部的流行率在1.6%至6.8%之间。数据表明，恙虫病东方体在泰国广泛分布，模拟战斗条件的野外演习等军事活动会使士兵显著暴露于感染风险中。
