An Emerging Infection “Scrub Typhus”– A Detailed Clinical Profile and Complications among Children in a Tertiary Hospital

Abstract

Objectives: To study the clinical profile and complications of Scrub typhus in children.
Methods: This descriptive study conducted in Siddhartha Medical college, Vijayawada, among children less than
12 years for a period of one year(December 2020-November 2021).A total of 49 children who are serologically/
clinically diagnosed cases of Scrub typhus.
Results: Scrub typhus mainly occurred in school going children with male predominance. Fever being the single
most clinical presentation in most of the cases(95.9%) associated with pallor, hepatosplenomegaly. Co infection
was documented in 14.2% cases with 85.7% cases showing increased morbidity and mortality. Mortality rate is
more in infants.
Conclusions: Among cases of Acute febrile illness, Scrub typhus accounts for 9.8% of cases. Main clinical features
were persistent fever, hepatosplenomegaly, thrombocytopenia, anemia along with capillary leak signs like edema
with or without eschar.
Infants are at high risk for complications and mortality.