Scrub Typhus as a Cause of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

Mahima Mittal; Jeromie Wesley Vivian Thangaraj; Winsley Rose; Valsan Philip Verghese; C P Girish Kumar; Mahim Mittal; R Sabarinathan; Vijay Bondre; Nivedita Gupta; Manoj V Murhekar

doi:10.3201/eid2308.170025

Scrub Typhus as a Cause of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

Emerg Infect Dis. 2017 Aug;23(8):1414-1416. doi: 10.3201/eid2308.170025.

Authors

Mahima Mittal, Jeromie Wesley Vivian Thangaraj, Winsley Rose, Valsan Philip Verghese, C P Girish Kumar, Mahim Mittal, R Sabarinathan, Vijay Bondre, Nivedita Gupta, Manoj V Murhekar

Abstract

Outbreaks of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) have been occurring in Gorakhpur Division, Uttar Pradesh, India, for several years. In 2016, we conducted a case-control study. Our findings revealed a high proportion of AES cases with Orientia tsutsugamushi IgM and IgG, indicating that scrub typhus is a cause of AES.

Keywords: Gorakhpur; India; Uttar Pradesh; acute encephalitis syndrome; meningitis/encephalitis; scrub typhus; vector-borne infections.

MeSH terms

Acute Febrile Encephalopathy / epidemiology*
Acute Febrile Encephalopathy / etiology*
Adolescent
Case-Control Studies
Child
Child, Preschool
Disease Outbreaks*
Female
Humans
India / epidemiology
Infant
Male
Orientia tsutsugamushi / immunology
Population Surveillance
Scrub Typhus / complications*
Scrub Typhus / epidemiology*
Scrub Typhus / microbiology
Seroepidemiologic Studies