Case Report: An Imported Case of Typhoid Fever Combined with Rhabdomyolysis and Multiple Organ Lesions in China

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2023 Oct 9;109(6):1220-1222. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.22-0632. Print 2023 Dec 6.

Abstract

Here, we report a case of blood culture-confirmed typhoid fever, rhabdomyolysis, and multiple organ damage that arrived in our country from overseas. A 23-year-old male patient presented at our hospital with fever and muscle pain; the condition progressed rapidly. Six days after the onset of symptoms, the patient developed rhabdomyolysis and liver/kidney damage; levels of creatine kinase (CK; maximum peak: 729,869 U/L) and myoglobin (> 3,000 ng/mL) were extremely high, although the extent of renal damage was relatively mild. Blood culture showed Salmonella typhi. The patient received a combination of meropenem and levofloxacin anti-infective therapy, as well as fluid and nutritional metabolic support. He gradually recovered and was discharged after two negative blood cultures. This case highlights the fact that typhoid-induced rhabdomyolysis is a serious, life-threatening disease and that the levels of CK and myoglobin are useful indicators for evaluating typhoid-induced rhabdomyolysis. Clinicians should remain vigilant regarding travel-related illnesses associated with enteric fever.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Creatine Kinase
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Myoglobin
  • Rhabdomyolysis* / complications
  • Rhabdomyolysis* / etiology
  • Travel
  • Travel-Related Illness
  • Typhoid Fever* / complications
  • Typhoid Fever* / diagnosis
  • Typhoid Fever* / drug therapy
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Myoglobin
  • Creatine Kinase