Andhra Pradesh is experiencing an unusual surge in scrub typhus this season, with more than 174 confirmed cases, and Visakhapatnam alone has reported over 130 infections. Eight lives have already been lost, pushing doctors and health officials to stress prevention and immunity. Though not new to India, the disease, caused by a bacterium spread by tiny mites in grassy areas, is increasingly worrying rural and semi urban communities.
Scrub typhus often begins like many seasonal illnesses, with fever, headache and body aches, which is why people tend to delay medical care. Explaining why this infection can turn serious, Dr K Subba Reddy, regional director critical care at Apollo Hospitals, says, “Once inside the body, the organism attacks the lining of small blood vessels, leading to widespread inflammation. This process, called vasculitis, disrupts blood flow to vital organs. In mild cases, it causes fever and body pain. However, in severe cases, unchecked inflammation leads to multi-organ dysfunction, especially when diagnosis or treatment is delayed.”
Talking about how people get infected, Dr K Krishna Prabhakar, director — department of internal medicine at Renova Century Hospitals, Banjara Hills, explains, “Scrub typhus is a serious but treatable infection caused by the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi, transmitted to humans by the bite of tiny infected larval mites called chiggers that live on vegetation and small rodents in scrub, farms and forest fringes. People get infected when they sit, work or walk in grass, fields, or bushes where these mites are present; it does not spread directly from person to person, and most cases occur during and after the monsoon in rural and semi-urban areas across India’s ‘tsutsugamushi triangle’.”
One of the biggest challenges with scrub typhus is that it is often missed in the early stages. Dr Subba Reddy points out that its symptoms closely resemble dengue, malaria, typhoid or common viral fevers. He explains how early diagnosis is important and the challenges the doctors face: “When treated promptly, scrub typhus responds dramatically to antibiotics. However, diagnosis is challenging because the symptoms closely resemble dengue, malaria, typhoid, or viral fevers. The classic eschar (black scab), though diagnostic, is absent in many patients or goes unnoticed. Laboratory confirmation may take time, so clinicians often rely on strong clinical suspicion, especially during monsoon and post-monsoon seasons.”
The reassuring part is that scrub typhus responds well to the right antibiotics when started early. Dr Krishna shares, “Most patients who receive timely antibiotics recover fully, with fever settling in a couple of days and overall weakness, appetite and sleep gradually normalising over one to two weeks. In those who developed severe complications such as lung, kidney or brain involvement, hospital stay and rehabilitation can extend to several weeks, but long-term after-effects are uncommon, and chronic disability is rare when intensive care and organ support are available.”
Scrub typhus shows how an ordinary fever can sometimes be anything but ordinary. A little awareness, early doctor visits and simple outdoor precautions can go a long way. When symptoms persist or feel unusual, listening to your body and seeking help promptly can prevent serious complications and ensure a smooth recovery.