Fever and thrombocytopenia

Low blood platelets occur in a large number of febrile illnesses, including:

• Septicaemia, including Gram-negative bacteria, typhoid, leptospirosis and borreliosis

• Rickettsioses

• Arboviruses such as dengue or yellow fever;

• Rodent-borne viruses such as Hanta and Lassa fever

• HIV

• Malaria

• Visceral leishmaniasis

• TTP-HUS (thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura – haemolytic uraemic syndrome): often after colitis which was treated with antibiotics (lysis of Shiga-toxin containing bacteria).

Category: Medicine Notes