Seroprevalence of scrub typhus among patients with acute febrile illness: A study from northern districts of West Bengal.

Abstract

Scrub typhus is a re-emerging acute febrile illness with a high case fatality rate. Early clinical features are nonspecific and resemble any acute febrile illness, with or without skin rash creating clinical dilemmas. Untreated or undiagnosed cases can be complicated with myocarditis, pneumonia, acute kidney injury, meningoencephalitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and multi-organ dysfunction syndrome. Antibody-based serological tests or IgM Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay against <i>Orientia tsutsugamushi</i> is a standard test for the diagnosis of scrub typhus within the first week of illness. The study aimed to determine the prevalence and epidemiological pattern of scrub typhus in acute febrile illness cases in northern districts of West Bengal, India. Blood samples of patients suffering from acute febrile illness for more than five days duration were collected from different districts of the northern part of West Bengal and IgM capture Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay was performed at the Microbiology laboratory of North Bengal Medical College over the period, January 2019 to December 2023. 12.09% of the total sample tested were positive for IgM antibodies (<i>n</i> = 4721). Most cases were between 21 years to 60 years of age with a higher prevalence in males. The number of cases increased during the monsoon and later months. The overall death rate was 7.53%. Early diagnosis is essential for early treatment and improved survival. Surveillance and vector control strategies can effectively control the disease burden.