A Study of the Profile of Scrub Typhus in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Jharkhand: An Underestimated Problem

Background and objectiveScrub typhus (ST) is a rickettsial infection caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, which is transmitted by the bite of the larval stage (chiggers) of trombiculid mites. Although it presents as an acute undifferentiated febrile illness (AUFI), its course can be complicated with acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute kidney injury (AKI), myocarditis, meningoencephalitis, hepatitis, multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), and ultimately death. This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiological features, clinical profile, laboratory features, and clinical outcomes of cases of scrub typhus and identify the predictors of disease severity.Methods and materialsThis study is a retrospective observational study that included confirmed cases of scrub typhus admitted in the medical wards and critical care unit (CCU) of Tata Main Hospital (TMH) from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2021. The case records of patients were analyzed for demographic characteristics, clinical features, treatment, and outcomes, which included length of stay (LOS), complications, and mortality. The required odds ratio (OR) was calculated, univariate and binary regression analyses were done, and a p-value of