Abstract
The outbreak of Tsutsugamushi disease, an acute infectious disease, caused by Richettsia tsutsugamushi has increased in various areas of Japan, particularly in Kagoshima Prefecture, and the southern parts of Kyushu including Kagoshima Prefecture have been given attention because of recent outbreaks. We report the first four cases of Tsutsugamushi disease found in Minamata district in Kumamoto Prefecture, facing Kagoshima Prefecture. All of the patients were engaged either in agriculture or forestry and one was a housewife. In this paper, the symptomatology, epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of Tsutsugamushi disease were discussed. Patients with this disease have often been overlooked, as cases of difficult diagnosis. Since this disorder is responsive to chemotherapy, it is urged that physicians have a better knowledge of this disorder and inhabitants will be educated concerning this disease.
