Scrub Typhus Leading to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, Assam, India

Emerg Infect Dis. 2017 Jan;23(1):148-150. doi: 10.3201/eid2301.161038. Epub 2017 Jan 15.

Abstract

To determine the contribution of Orientia tsutsugamushi, the agent of scrub typhus, as a cause of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) in Assam, India, we conducted a retrospective study of hospital patients with symptoms of AES during 2013-2015. Our findings suggest that O. tsutsugamushi infection leads to AES and the resulting illness and death.

Keywords: AES; Assam; India; Scrub typhus; acute encephalitis syndrome; bacteria; meningitis/encephalitis; vector-borne infections.

Publication types

  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • Acute Febrile Encephalopathy / epidemiology*
  • Acute Febrile Encephalopathy / etiology
  • Acute Febrile Encephalopathy / microbiology
  • Acute Febrile Encephalopathy / mortality
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics*
  • Female
  • Hospitals
  • Humans
  • India / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Orientia tsutsugamushi / classification
  • Orientia tsutsugamushi / genetics*
  • Orientia tsutsugamushi / isolation & purification
  • Orientia tsutsugamushi / pathogenicity
  • Phylogeny*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Scrub Typhus / complications
  • Scrub Typhus / epidemiology*
  • Scrub Typhus / microbiology
  • Scrub Typhus / mortality
  • Seasons
  • Survival Analysis

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • DNA, Bacterial