Abstract

NEONATAL SCRUB TYPHUS: CASE REPORT

*Prof. P. Paramanantham, Dr. P. Sathyamoorthy and Dr. P. Sekar

Abstract

Also known as tsutsugamushi disease.[1] this acute febrile disease is caused by orientia tsutsugamushi [Japanese word tsutsuga (“dangerous”), mushi (“bug”)[1], which is a small gram negative, obligate intracellular organism whose polysaccharides bear an antigenic relationship to proteus OX-K, which is thus used in serologic tests to confirm scrub typhus.[1] O. tsutsugamushiis transmitted to humans by the bite of the larva of trombiculid miles(chiggers)which are almost microscopic, often brilliantly colored(red). Infected chiggers are found particularly in areas of heavy scrub vegetation during wet season, (therefore this disease has also beencalled river/flood fever[1]). when mites lay eggs.[2] usually June through November.[3] The word “scrub” was applied because of the type of vegetation that maintains the chigger-mammal relationship even though others regions also support rodents and mites.[1]

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