Scrub Typhus | 26 Sep 2020
Why in News
An outbreak of Scrub Typhus (also known as Bush Typhus), a bacterial disease, has caused 5 deaths and 600 infections in Nagaland’s Noklak district bordering Myanmar.
- The North East Region is also suffering from an outbreak of diseases like malaria, Japanese encephalitis and Covid-19 pandemic.
- The cattles have also been affected by African swine fever.
Key Points
- Caused By: Orientia tsutsugamushi (Bacteria)
- Spread: Through bites of Larval Mites of family trombiculid, also called Chiggers.
- Symptoms: Fever, headache, body aches, and sometimes rash.
- Occurrence: Rural areas of Southeast Asia, Indonesia, China, Japan, India, and northern Australia.
- Treatment: Antibiotics. No vaccine available.
Typhus
- Typhus is a group of bacterial infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus.
- Epidemic typhus is due to Rickettsia prowazekii spread by body lice.
- Scrub typhus is due to Orientia tsutsugamushi spread by chiggers.
- Murine typhus is due to Rickettsia typhi spread by fleas.
- Napoleon’s army was infected with Epidemic Typhus during his invasion of Russia in 1812 causing it to retreat.