Acute Encephalitis Syndrome Due to Scrub Typhus Infection in Pediatric Population: A Case Series from a Tertiary Care Center of Eastern India

Abstract

Scrub typhus, which is caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, is a reemerging infectious disease of public health concern. The disease may be accompanied by varied clinical presentations, ranging from nonspecific fever to rapidly progressing multiorgan failure. Scrub typhus is one of the less commonly diagnosed causes of acute encephalitis syndrome, especially in the pediatric population. Here, we report a series of three cases of pediatric acute encephalitis syndrome due to scrub typhus infection from a tertiary care center of Eastern India. All the three cases presented with an abrupt onset of symptoms and underwent a stormy disease course requiring intensive care support. All of them responded promptly to intravenous doxycycline treatment; however, recovery was mostly accompanied by neurologic sequelae.