| Disease/Syndrome |
Typhus, mite-borne scrub |
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| Category |
Infection, Occupational |
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| Acute/Chronic |
Acute-Severe |
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| Synonyms |
Tsutsugamushi disease; Miteborne typhus fever; Orientia tsutsugumushi infection; |
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| Biomedical References |
Search PubMed |
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| Comments |
"Punched out" skin lesions (eschars) appear at the sites of attachment of the infected mites. A rash appears on the trunk one week after onset of the fever. Pneumonia is common. In untreated cases, fever lasts for 14 days, and the case-fatality rate varies from 1% to 60%. Workers are infected in scrub-overgrown terrain or other mite-infested areas. [CCDM, p. 587-90] The rash starts on the trunk and spreads to the extremities, sparing palms/soles. Hepatosplenomegaly is common. [ID, p. 1488-9] Infected mites live only in rural areas. The characteristic eschar on an ill patient in an endemic area is virtually diagnostic. Regional lymphadenopathy occurs. The chiggers feed on wild rats, but do not infect them with O. tsutsugumushi. The rash may be difficult to detect in dark-skinned people. Hearing loss accompanying the fever and conjunctival suffusion are typical. Patients may develop adult respiratory distress syndrome. Rare complications are meningoencephalitis, convulsions, and coma. [Guerrant, p. 557-60] Findings may include delirium and myocarditis. [Merck Manual, p. 1493] The pale and transient, macular rash is reported in only about 30% of cases. In severe cases, the disease causes hemorrhages and multiple organ failure. [PPID, p. 2287, 2309-10] |
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| Latency/Incubation |
10-12 days |
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| Diagnostic |
Culture; Paired serum antibodies (IF and EIA); |
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| ICD-9 Code |
081.2 |
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| Effective Antimicrobics |
Yes |
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| Scope |
Central, eastern, and Southeast Asia |
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| Reference Link |
CDC - Typhus Fevers |
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| Related Information in Haz-Map |
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| Symptoms/Findings |
Symptoms/Findings associated with this disease:
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| Job Tasks |
High risk job tasks associated with this disease:
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