Scrub Typhus

• Indian scientists have identified better drug treatment for severe Scrub typhus.
• Combination therapy using both doxycycline and azithromycin is far more effective in treating severe scrub typhus than monotherapies of either drug by itself.

ABOUT SCRUB TYPHUS

• Scrub typhus, a life-threatening infection caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi bacteria — is a major public health threat in South and Southeast Asia.
  • Nearly one million cases are reported from South and Southeast Asia with 10% mortality.
  • India is one of the hotspots with at least 25% of the disease burden.
• Scrub typhus is a major public health threat because of the high mortality rate in patients with severe disease despite diagnosis and treatment.
• It is transmitted to humans by bites from tiny, infected larvae of mites.
• Only the larval stage of the mite requires a blood meal, which is usually from rodents.
• The infection does not cause typical symptoms, thus making correct and early diagnosis difficult.
• Also, awareness about infection and disease is very low despite the high disease burden and mortality rate.