Scrub Typhus In A Tertiary Care Hospital In Chengalpattu District

Abstract

Introduction: Orientia tsutsugamushi is the bacterium that causes scrub typhus. By being bitten by a larval trombiculid mite(chigger), it is transmitted. The incubation period is 10-14 days. Fever, headache, body aches, and sometimes rashes are the most common symptoms. The hallmark is the characteristic eschar lesion-scab at the site of chigger bite and regional lymphadenopathy. The severity of the illness varies from person to person ranging from fever to multi-organ involvement. Scrub typhus is diagnosed in the laboratory using serological tests such as ELISA IgM and Immunofluorescence IgM and molecular test -real-time PCR. Though the organism can be isolated using egg and cell culture is confined to the referral or research laboratories having biosafety level 3 facilities. The disease is managed with doxycycline or chloramphenicol and the organism does not respond to penicillins. Aim: To eloborate a case report of scrub typhus in a 41-year-old female patient in our tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: laboratory work up of a single patient with clinical suspicion of scrub typhus was carried out using TruNat,Molbio for detection of Orientia tsutsugamushi. All other differential diagnosis of fever including Dengue, were also evaluated to confirm the diagnosis Conclusion: Considering scrub typhus as differential diagnosis of fever is suggested.