SCRUB TYPHUS IN KOREA - IMPORTANCE OF EARLY CLINICAL-DIAGNOSIS IN THIS NEWLY RECOGNIZED ENDEMIC AREA

Scrub typhus became a well recognized infectious disease threat to mil itary operations in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Early dia gnosis and treatment with tetracycline or chloramphenicol dramatically reduces the mortality and morbidity of this disease. Korea is a newly recognized scrub typhus endemic country. We report our experience wit h 189 scrub typhus patients seen at a civilian outpatient clinic in Ch inhae, Republic of Korea, from 1985 through 1990, and verify the accur acy of clinical diagnosis by serologic tests.