Scrub Typhus in mainland China, 2006–2012: the need for targeted public health interventions

Abstract

Scrub typhus is a vector-borne disease carried by the chigger mite. The aetiological agent is the rickettsia Orientia tsutsugamushi, which is endemic to several countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including China [1]. It is also a travel associated disease [2] and of great importance among military personnel [3,4]. During the Second World War, scrub typhus was associated with a higher case fatality ratio than any other infectious disease in the China-Burma-India theatre of operations [1,3]. Clinical presentation in patients varies from asymptomatic to life-threatening disease [5], including acute hearing loss and multiple organ failure [6,7]. To date, there is still no effective and reliable human vaccine against scrub typhus and no point-of-care diagnostics available [1].