First seroprevalence report of scrub typhus from the tribal belts of the Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu, India

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Scrub typhus, an acute febrile Rickettsial disease is caused by the bacterial pathogen Orientia tsutsugamushi which is spread by the bite of infected chigger mite vectors belonging to the family Trombiculidae. A study was undertaken to find out the prevalence of scrub typhus among the indigenous population from Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu. METHODS: This study was conducted among 214 patients with fever of unknown aetiology and a recent history of febrile illness attending the Nilgiris Adivasi Welfare Association medical facilities available at Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu. Serum samples were tested for scrub typhus IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Overall, 13 (6.07%) of the 214 samples tested were positive for scrub typhus. This is the first seroprevalence report of scrub typhus from the indigenous people belonging to Irula, Kurumba, Paniyar, and Kota tribes from the Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Early diagnosis and effective management will protect this indigenous population from this disease. This report would help in creating awareness regarding scrub typhus infection among clinicians and public health authorities in the region and take appropriate measures for treatment and control.