Rural communities face a high risk of potentially life-threatening scrub typhus infections, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore, released on Thursday.
Scrub typhus is a severe infection caused by the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi, a member of the rickettsia family. It is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected larval mites, also known as chiggers.
The study, which examined 32,000 people in rural areas of Tamil Nadu, identified scrub typhus as a leading yet under-recognized cause of fever-related hospitalizations.
Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the study was conducted in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Researchers found a high incidence of scrub typhus over a two-year period, with nearly 10 percent of the population infected annually.
While most infections were asymptomatic, between 8 percent and 15 percent of those infected developed a fever that often required hospitalization and intensive care due to severe illness.
“After COVID-19, scrub typhus was the most significant cause of fever in our study, accounting for nearly 30 percent of fever-related hospitalizations,” said lead author Carol Devamani, MD, from CMC Vellore’s Department of Community Medicine.
“Despite its prevalence and the availability of treatment, scrub typhus is frequently overlooked as a potential cause of fever. Diagnostic tests exist in major hospitals but are not widely available in local communities,” she added.
Symptoms of scrub typhus include fever, headache, body aches, and a rash, typically appearing around 10 days after infection. A blackened sore often develops at the site of the chigger bite, aiding in diagnosis.
If left untreated, scrub typhus can lead to severe complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), shock, meningitis, and kidney failure, which can be fatal.
The infection can be treated with antibiotics such as doxycycline and azithromycin, but no vaccine is currently available for prevention.
During the study, five people died due to scrub typhus-related complications.
Researchers also noted that under-reporting of fever cases posed a limitation to the study.
“Our findings highlight the urgent need to educate communities about the risks of scrub typhus and to enhance diagnostic capabilities at the community level. Only by doing so can we reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and prevent fatal cases,” Devamani emphasized.
(Inputs from IANS)
