Kostival
Kostival strain (Blake et al, 1945 p. 350, 281; Rights et al, 1948, p. 340). The Kostival strain of O. tsutsugamushi was one of 9 patient isolates [Blake et al.. p 286] collected from patients deployed to Cape Sudest in the Dobadura region of (now) Papua New Guinea in October, 1943. The 20 year-old patient [surname Kostival] became febrile on 17 November and was admitted to the 363rd Station Hospital on 19 November. Isolations, by mouse inoculation of patient blood, were made by Blake and coworkers of the U.S. Typhus Commission, who had arrived at the Third Medical Laboratory adjacent to the hospital on October 19, 1943 [p.281]. Kostival was one of 20 in the patient cohort they examined. The patient showed an eschar on the lower left quadrant of the abdomen and a pink blanching maculopapular rash on the chest, back, abdomen and arms. Mouse blood smears stained positive. Based upon clinical presentation and Weil-Felix titer the patient was diagnosed with moderately severe tsutsugamushi disease. Although Kostival himself survived two other patients in the cohort studied died of scrub typhus.
[See patient clinical course chart, including penicillin notation.(Blake et al., 1945, p. 321-322)]
During hospitalization the patient was treated with the antibiotic penicillin with no demonstrable effect (Blake et al., 1945, p. 319, 321, 324). Rickettsiae were recovered from the patient by mouse inoculation 48 hours after initiation of penicillin therapy.
Nine patient isolates, including “Kostival” were transported to the U.S. for further study [Blake et al., 1945, page 286]. The “Kostival” isolate was further passed and characterized at the Division of Virus and Rickettsial Diseases, Army Medical Service Graduate School (later the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research), Washington D.C.
In 1990 all [MISSING MATERIAL?]
Blake, F.G., Maxcy, K.F. Sadtjsk, Jr., J.F., Kohls, G.M. and Bell, E.J. 1945. Studies on Tsutsugamushi Disease (Scrub Typhus, Mite-borne Typhus) in New Guinea and Adjacent Islands: Epidemiology, Clinical Observations, and Etiology In the Dobaduea Area. The American Journal of Hygiene 41(3): 243-373.
Rights, F.L. and Smadel, J.E. 1948. Studies on Scrub Typhus (Tsutsugamushi Disease) .3. Heterogenicity of Strains of R. tsutsugamushi as Demonstrated by Cross-vaccination Studies. Journal of Experimental Medicine. 87(4): 339-351.