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 than12 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 singlemost clinical presentation in most of the cases(95.9%) associated with pallor, hepatosplenomegaly. Co infectionwas documented in 14.2% cases with 85.7% cases showing increased morbidity and mortality. Mortality rate ismore in infants.Conclusions: Among cases of Acute febrile illness, Scrub typhus accounts for 9.8% of cases. Main clinical featureswere persistent fever, hepatosplenomegaly, thrombocytopenia, anemia along with capillary leak signs like edemawith or without eschar.Infants are at high risk for complications and mortality.