Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Mar 13: Rural populations are at high risk of contracting scrub typhus, a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore, released on Thursday.
Scrub typhus, caused by the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi, is transmitted to humans through bites from infected larval mites or chiggers. The study, which examined 32,000 individuals in rural Tamil Nadu, identified the disease as a leading yet underdiagnosed cause of fever-related hospitalisations.
Published in the New England Journal of Medicine and conducted in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), the research revealed a high annual infection rate, with nearly 10 per cent of the population contracting the disease each year. While many cases remained asymptomatic, between 8 per cent and 15 per cent of those infected developed severe fevers requiring hospitalisation and, in some instances, intensive care.
Lead author Dr. Carol Devamani from CMC Vellore stated that scrub typhus accounted for almost 30 per cent of fever-related hospital admissions in the study—second only to COVID-19. Despite its prevalence and treatability, the disease is frequently overlooked due to a lack of community-level diagnostic facilities.
Symptoms typically appear about 10 days after infection and include fever, headache, body aches, and rash. A blackened skin lesion at the bite site can help doctors identify the disease. If untreated, scrub typhus can lead to severe complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), shock, meningitis, and kidney failure—conditions that can prove fatal.
Although the infection can be treated with antibiotics like doxycycline and azithromycin, no vaccine is currently available for prevention. During the study, five individuals succumbed to scrub typhus-related complications.
The researchers emphasized the urgent need to raise awareness about the disease and enhance diagnostic capabilities in rural areas. Dr Devamani highlighted that early detection and timely treatment are essential to reducing unnecessary hospitalisations and fatal cases.