Profile of Pediatric Scrub Typhus in Odisha, India

Objective: To investigate the distribution and clinical profile of scrub typhus infection amongchildren with acute febrile illness in Odisha. Methods: Children (<15 y) presenting with acutefever (>5 days) in 4 agro-climatic zones from June to November 2017 were evaluated.Patients were screened for malaria, leptospira, dengue, typhoid and scrub typhus. Scrubtyphus was confirmed by IgM ELISA and PCR. Results: Out of413 casesexamined, 48.7%were positive for scrub typhus, and 5.5% of them developed systemic complications. Escharwas found in 17.9% of cases. Five days treatment of Doxycycline and/or Azithromycin wasclinically effective against scrub typhus. Conclusion: Our study highlights that scrub typhusis one of the causes of high morbidity in children during rainy months in Odisha.