An epidemiological outbreak of scrub typhus caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi – A comprehensive review

Abstract

Scrub typhus is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi a gram-negative bacterium belonging to order Rickettsiales, endemic in Asia–Pacific region known as “Tsutsugamushi triangle.” This review aims to describe the seasonal outbreak of scrub typhus endemic in many places of India and in a global map which will be systematically analyze the current situation. The review focused on the diagnosis methods used to detect the disease also on the severity and complications during the clinical presentation. The data of scrub typhus outbreaks in different countries from 2000 to 2020 were retrieved from various sources. Gradually, increased case load and incidence rates have been recorded. The majority of the reported cases were from the North-East region of India during the cooler months. In Odisha, very few case reports were found, mostly from the capital, Bhubaneswar, but other areas have no records as it is still considered as an underreported disease. We concluded that India has experienced a large increase in scrub typhus incidence and documented an expansion in geographic distribution throughout the country. Therefore, people in rural areas need to be more conscious and aware to prevent the spread. Although no vaccine is available, several other preventive measures can be taken.