Sennetsu Neorickettsiosis: A Probable Fish-Borne Cause of Fever Rediscovered in Laos

Paul N. Newton Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Unité des Rickettsies, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France; Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre (LARReC), Vientiane, Lao PDR; Lao Red Cross, Blood Transfusion Service, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

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Jean-Marc Rolain Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Unité des Rickettsies, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France; Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre (LARReC), Vientiane, Lao PDR; Lao Red Cross, Blood Transfusion Service, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

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Bouachanh Rasachak Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Unité des Rickettsies, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France; Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre (LARReC), Vientiane, Lao PDR; Lao Red Cross, Blood Transfusion Service, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

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Mayfong Mayxay Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Unité des Rickettsies, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France; Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre (LARReC), Vientiane, Lao PDR; Lao Red Cross, Blood Transfusion Service, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

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Khamtanh Vathanatham Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Unité des Rickettsies, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France; Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre (LARReC), Vientiane, Lao PDR; Lao Red Cross, Blood Transfusion Service, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

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Piseth Seng Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Unité des Rickettsies, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France; Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre (LARReC), Vientiane, Lao PDR; Lao Red Cross, Blood Transfusion Service, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

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Rattanaphone Phetsouvanh Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Unité des Rickettsies, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France; Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre (LARReC), Vientiane, Lao PDR; Lao Red Cross, Blood Transfusion Service, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

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Te Thammavong Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Unité des Rickettsies, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France; Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre (LARReC), Vientiane, Lao PDR; Lao Red Cross, Blood Transfusion Service, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

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Jamaayah Zahidi Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Unité des Rickettsies, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France; Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre (LARReC), Vientiane, Lao PDR; Lao Red Cross, Blood Transfusion Service, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

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Yupin Suputtamongkol Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Unité des Rickettsies, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France; Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre (LARReC), Vientiane, Lao PDR; Lao Red Cross, Blood Transfusion Service, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

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Bounkong Syhavong Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Unité des Rickettsies, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France; Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre (LARReC), Vientiane, Lao PDR; Lao Red Cross, Blood Transfusion Service, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

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Didier Raoult Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Unité des Rickettsies, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France; Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre (LARReC), Vientiane, Lao PDR; Lao Red Cross, Blood Transfusion Service, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

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Neorickettsia sennetsu has been described from Japan and Malaysia, causing a largely forgotten infectious mononucleosis-like disease. Because it is believed to be contracted from eating raw fish, frequently consumed in the Lao PDR, we looked for evidence of N. sennetsu among Lao patients and fish. A buffy coat from 1 of 91 patients with undifferentiated fever was positive by 16S rRNA amplification and sequencing and real-time polymerase chain reactions (PCR) targeting two N. sennetsu genes. Lao blood donors and patients with fever, hepatitis, or jaundice (N = 1,132) had a high prevalence (17%) of immunofluorescence assay IgG anti-N. sennetsu antibodies compared with 4% and 0% from febrile patients (N = 848) in Thailand and Malaysia, respectively. We found N. sennetsu DNA by PCR, for the first time, in a fish (Anabas testudineus). These data suggest that sennetsu may be an under-recognized cause of fever and are consistent with the hypothesis that it may be contracted from eating raw fish.

Author Notes

Reprint requests: Paul Newton, Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration, Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR, E-mail: paul@tropmedres.ac.
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