A review of the global epidemiology of scrub typhus

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2017 Nov 3;11(11):e0006062. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006062. eCollection 2017 Nov.

Abstract

Scrub typhus is a serious public health problem in the Asia-Pacific area. It threatens one billion people globally, and causes illness in one million people each year. Caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, scrub typhus can result in severe multiorgan failure with a case fatality rate up to 70% without appropriate treatment. The antigenic heterogeneity of O. tsutsugamushi precludes generic immunity and allows reinfection. As a neglected disease, there is still a large gap in our knowledge of the disease, as evidenced by the sporadic epidemiologic data and other related public health information regarding scrub typhus in its endemic areas. Our objective is to provide a systematic analysis of current epidemiology, prevention and control of scrub typhus in its long-standing endemic areas and recently recognized foci of infection.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Asia / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Neglected Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Neglected Diseases / microbiology
  • Neglected Diseases / prevention & control
  • Orientia tsutsugamushi / isolation & purification
  • Scrub Typhus / epidemiology*
  • Scrub Typhus / microbiology
  • Scrub Typhus / parasitology
  • Scrub Typhus / prevention & control*

Grants and funding

This work was supported by UTMB McLaughlin Fellowship (to GX), the Carmage and Martha Walls Distinguished University Chair in Tropical Diseases (to DHW), and the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.