Scrub typhus is an acute, feverish illness and an emerging rickettsial disease. It is transmitted through the bite of an infected chigger or a larval mite. This zoonotic disease can cause various health issues like fever, headache, abdomen and other breathing difficulties. Scrub typhus is a serious bacterial infection that affects children due to less preexisting immunity. It is endemic in the Asian Pacific Region, which is the primary cause of the illness in children in rural tropical areas. Diagnosing and treating the disease early is important to avoid serious medical complications. Read this article to learn how scrub typhus spreads and tips on protecting kids from ticks.
Scrub typhus is an infectious and mite-born disease caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi bacteria. The bite of a trombiculid mite transmits it. It usually presents with high-grade fever with other non-specific signs and symptoms. Children are more likely to be affected by the disease due to less immunity. You may notice red or pink lesions in the area of the mite bite. The infection starts after the incubation period.
The following can increase the chance of getting infected by scrub typhus:
Stay away from the above risk factors to prevent you and your kids from scrub typhus.
The symptoms of scrub typhus start after an incubation period of 6 to 21 days. The symptoms are similar to other diseases. This acute febrile illness is usually associated with non-specific signs and symptoms. Some of the evident symptoms of scrub typhus infection are:
Tick bite symptoms in children include a dark scab-like region in the bite area (usually in the groin and axilla) rashes, muscle and joint aches, stiff neck or back, tiredness, loss of appetite, hot skin, diarrhoea and swollen glands.
Fever may rise in the first week of infection. This conjunctival infection leads to severe headaches. The macular rash starts to develop in the trunk and extends to the arms and legs. Child may develop a persistent cough in the first week, followed by pneumonitis in the second week.
Physical examination is done by the healthcare provider when your tick bites you. Painless eschar at the site of the tick bite is a potential pointer for diagnosis. A biopsy of the rash is done to identify the type of infection. Laboratory tests and blood tests help in diagnosing scrub typhus in children. Some of the laboratory tests to diagnose scrub typhus are the Weil-Felix test and the indirect fluorescent antibody test. Other tests for diagnosing the disease are antibody titer, rapid immuno chromatographic tests and molecular methods.
You must treat scrub typhus infection immediately to avoid complications. Early diagnosis and timely medical intervention can help the patient recover quickly. Antibiotics are quite effective in treating scrub typhus in children. Your healthcare provider usually prescribes doxycycline. For a mild infection, antibiotics are prescribed for 5 days, and for a severe infection, antibiotics are recommended for 10 days. Patients who have already been treated with doxycycline recover quickly.
Alternative drugs suggested for scrub typhus are azithromycin or chloramphenicol. Children with undifferentiated fever for 5 days who have not been ruled out for malaria, dengue or typhoid must be administered doxycycline or azithromycin. Pain relievers and fluids are supplementary relief measures to alleviate the symptoms.
Scrub typhus can be a life-threatening disease when left untreated. The following are the complications of scrub typhus in children:
To protect your kids from scrub typhus, you must prevent them from tick bites. As of now, there is no vaccination available to prevent your kids from scrub typhus. Follow this safety measure for tick bite prevention in children.
Scrub typhus is an acute bacterial disease transmitted through the bite of an infected larval mite or chigger. This zoonotic disease is highly infectious and spreads through infected ticks in animals. Early diagnosis and treatment are important to prevent the complications of the disease. Antibiotics are the primary treatment for treating scrub typhus. Preventing tick bites can help protect your children from scrub typhus infection.
The mortality rate of scrub typhus is very low, and the recovery period is quick.
Ticks spread scrub typhus to children through the bite of infected marvel mites or chiggers. When children are exposed to areas with thick bushes, high grasses and lots of trees, there are chances of chiggers biting the children. It also spreads to children when they come in close contact with pets or animals infested with ticks.
All ticks do not carry the bacteria that causes scrub typhus. This disease is mainly caused by the Orientia tsutsugamushi bacteria and is transmitted by the larvae of trombiculid mites.
