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Scrub Typhus Infections

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March 15, 2025

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
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