SCRUB TYPHUS: ONE SHOULD BE VIGILANT!!

Abstract

Background: Humans are opportunistic hosts for scrub typhus which is transmitted by trombiculid mites to rodents.

Aims: To study the magnitude of scrub typhus in kumaun region of Uttrakhand in India.

Materials and Methods: All adult patients presenting with febrile illness from March 2015 to November 2015 were evaluated.

Observations and Results: A total of 210 patients with undiagnosed fever were included in the study and 98 (46.67%) patients showed presence of IgM antibodies against scrub typhus. The common symptoms were fever, cough, anorexia, myalgias, nausea/vomiting. Out of 98, 41 patients presented with severe scrub typhus. Four (4.08%) patients died due to multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS).

Conclusion: Scrub typhus, if early and appropriately diagnosed, prevents life threatening situations.