Clinical and Demographic Characteristics of the Autumn-winter Type of Scrub Typhus Cases in a Peripheral Medical College of West Bengal, India
Introduction: Scrub typhus is a vector-borne zoonotic disease caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, obligate intracellular gram negative bacteria. It is transmitted by the larval stage of mites (“chiggers”) in the family Trombiculidae. The disease is endemic in many parts of India and continues to b...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
JCDR Research and Publications Pvt. Ltd.
2022-07-01
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| Series: | National Journal of Laboratory Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.njlm.net/articles/PDF/2663/56693_CE[NIK]_F(SHU)_PF1(AG_SHU)_PFA(SHU)_PB(AG_SHU)_PN(SHU).pdf |
| Summary: | Introduction: Scrub typhus is a vector-borne zoonotic disease
caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, obligate intracellular gram
negative bacteria. It is transmitted by the larval stage of mites
(“chiggers”) in the family Trombiculidae. The disease is endemic
in many parts of India and continues to be a public health
problem.
Aim: To study the clinical and demographic characteristics of
the scrub typhus patients in a peripheral medical college of
West Bengal, India.
Materials and Methods: Present study was a retrospective
study enrolling 66 confirmed positive cases with Enzyme
Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test during the period
from 1st September 2021 to 31st December 2021 at Department
of Microbiology, Rampurhat Government Medical College and
Hospital, Rampurhat, West Bengal, India.
Results: The clinical and demographic characteristics of the
scrub typhus patients’ majority were below age of 15 years
i.e. (72.7%), in which females (65.2%) were more compared to
male (34%). Most of the study participants were from rural area
(76.8%). Majority of study subjects presented with fever (94%),
fever with chills (36.4%), cough (24.2%), altered sensorium
(25.8%). Maximum cases 42 (63.6%) had occurred in the month
of September followed by 11 (16.7%) in October, and November
and 02 (3.0%) case reported in December 2021. About 15.3%
study population had expired where as 84.7% survived.
Conclusion: Current study shows that majority of the cases
occurred in the month of September 2021 with female
preponderance. Most of the residents were from rural areas
with common clinical symptoms with fever with or without
chills and breathlessness, headache, altered sensorium and
skin lesions |
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| ISSN: | 2277-8551 2455-6882 |