Scrub Typhus Infections

Why in News?

A study by Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore & London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) highlights the high risk of scrub typhus infections in rural Tamil Nadu.

Key Findings of the Study

• Study Area - Rural areas of Tamil Nadu.
• Sample Size - 32,000 individuals.
• Incidence Rate - Nearly 10% of the population was infected annually over a 2-year study period.
• Severity of Cases - 8%-15% of infected individuals developed fever requiring hospitalization.
• Scrub typhus accounted for 30% of fever-related hospitalizations, making it the second most common cause after COVID-19.
• Five deaths recorded due to severe complications.

Scrub Typhus

• It is a severe infection caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi (a rickettsial bacterium).
• Vector - Infected larval mites (chigger).
• Mode of Transmission - Humans get infected through the bite of infected chiggers (mite larvae).
• The bacteria enter the bloodstream, causing systemic infection.

• Symptoms - Fever (develops about 10 days after infection), Headache and body aches, Rash, Eschar (black sore at the site of the chigger bite) – a crucial diagnostic sign.
• Complications - Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) – severe lung infection.
• Meningitis – Inflammation of brain membranes.
• Multi-organ failure – Kidney, liver, and heart damage.
• Septic Shock – Life-threatening blood infection.
• Death - In severe cases if not treated properly.
• Treatment – Antibiotics - Doxycycline and Azithromycin are effective.
• Early treatment reduces complications and mortality.
• Prevention - No vaccine currently available.
• Avoid exposure to mite-infested areas (dense vegetation, bushes).
• Wear protective clothing and use insect repellents.

References

1. DD News | Scrub Typhus Infections
2. CDC | Scrub Typhus