Epidemiology and clinical profile of scrub typhus outbreak in a tertiary care centre of central India

ABSTRACT

Background: Scrub typhus is the most common rickettsial infection in the Indian subcontinent with the manifestation ranging from mild symptoms to serious disease with or complication or death. The objective of this study was to study epidemiology and clinical profile of scrub typhus outbreak in a tertiary care centre of central India.Methods: Present study is a record based retrospective study enrolling 173 confirmed positive cases with ELISA test during the period from 1st August to 31st December 2018.Results: Maximum number of the cases 94 (54.3%) had occurred in September 2019. Majority of the female 94(54.3%) were Ig M positive for scrub typhus. Maximum cases 134 (77.5%) were from rural area. Most common symptoms were fever 170 (98.3%), followed by fever with chills 65 (37.6%), breathlessness 49 (28.3%), cough 35 (20.2%), and 28 (16.2%) each with altered sensorium and headache. Mortality was recorded in 30 (173%) and amongst them 10 (34.5%) and 4 (13.8%) cases had ARDS and septicaemia as complication respectively.Conclusions: This study shows that majority of the cases occurred in the month of September 2018 with female preponderance. Most of the residence were from rural areas with common presenting symptoms as fever or fever with chills followed by breathlessness, cough and altered sensorium and headache.