Abstract
BackgroundScrub typhus can present with atypical signs and symptoms such as those of acute kidney injury, gastroenteritis, pneumonitis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Meningitis, encephalitis, and hepatic dysfunction have also been reported, particularly in severe cases with multisystem involvement. Scrub typhus has never been reported in the literature to cause urinary tract infections (UTIs) which includes cystitis and pyelonephritis.Case presentationA 45-year old male presenting to the outpatient unit with fever, right flank pain, and burning micturition for three days was initially treated for UTI. However, he returned to the hospital on the fourth day of illness with persistent symptoms. He was hospitalized, with intravenous (IV) ceftriaxone. Computerized tomography scan of his abdomen-pelvis showed features of acute pyelonephritis, so his antibiotics were upgraded to meropenem and teicoplanin. Despite this, the patient’s condition deteriorated. Laboratory investigations showed multisystem involvement: decreasing platelets, raised creatinine, and deranged liver panel. As Kathmandu was hit by dengue epidemic during the patient’s hospitalization, on the seventh day of his illness, blood samples were sent for tropical fever investigation. All tests came out negative except for scrub typhus—IgM antibodies positive on rapid diagnostic test. The patient’s symptoms subsided after 48 h of starting doxycycline and he became fully asymptomatic four days later. Fever did not recur even after discontinuing other IV antibiotics, favoring scrub typhus disease rather than systemic bacterial sepsis.ConclusionsScrub typhus is an emerging infectious disease of Nepal. Therefore, every unexplained fever cases (irrespective of clinical presentation) should be evaluated for potential Rickettsiosis. Moreover, for cases with acute pyelonephritis, atypical causative agents should be investigated, for example scrub typhus in this case.
Highlights
ConclusionsScrub typhus is an emerging infectious disease of Nepal. every unexplained fever cases (irrespective of clinical presentation) should be evaluated for potential Rickettsiosis
Scrub typhus can present with atypical signs and symptoms such as those of acute kidney injury, gastroenteritis, pneumonitis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome
Case fatality rate of scrub typhus is 6% for untreated and 1.4% for treated cases [1]., [4] a high degree of clinical suspicion is required for the diagnosis of scrub typhus which can be confirmed by a rapid diagnostic test or Bhattarai et al BMC Infectious Diseases (2020) 20:322 polymerase chain reaction (PCR); Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) being the gold standard test—a fourfold rise in IgM antibody titer is usually diagnostic of infection [5]
Summary
Scrub typhus is an emerging infectious disease of Nepal. every unexplained fever cases (irrespective of clinical presentation) should be evaluated for potential Rickettsiosis.
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