The latest research from Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College in Gorakhpur indicates that the majority of patients admitted for the treatment of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) are also suffering from Scrub Typhus. This important revelation emphasizes the need for early diagnosis and treatment of Scrub Typhus, which is much easier to treat than its often-associated condition, AES.
Understanding Acute Encephalitis Syndrome
Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, abbreviated as AES, encompasses all symptoms related to inflammation of the brain. The World Health Organisation established this term in 2006 as a collective identifier for diseases that share common traits but are hard to distinctly identify during an outbreak. Potential causes of AES are diverse – it can be attributed to toxins found in unripe lychee fruit, viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites and even chemical poisons. Unfortunately, there is currently no vaccine available to prevent this illness.
Specifically in India, outbreaks of AES in the northern and eastern regions are often associated with children consuming unripe lychee fruit on empty stomachs. These fruits contain toxins namely hypoglycin A, a naturally occurring amino acid, and methylenecyclopropyl-glycine (MCPG), which can trigger vomiting if ingested in large amounts. This discovery has been supported by studies from the National Institute of Epidemiology.
Treating Scrub Typhus: The Role of Azithromycin
The connection between AES and Scrub Typhus is crucial because early detection of Scrub Typhus leads to more effective treatment. Research published in Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal in May of this year demonstrates the efficacy of the drug azithromycin in treating Scrub Typhus.
Additional evidence supporting the prevalence of scrub typhus comes from Vector Control Research Centre (VCRC) in Chennai. The institute studied trombiculid mites in eastern Uttar Pradesh and found that these mites carry Orientia tsutsugumashi, the bacterium that causes scrub typhus. Increases in infestations of rodents by trombiculid mites were noted from August to October, thus suggesting a reason behind the high occurrence of the disease during the monsoon season.
About Scrub Typhus
Scrub Typhus is an acute illness triggered by the bacterium Orienta tsutsugamushi, which is transferred through the bite of an infected mite larva found in soil. Symptoms typically include fever, often accompanied by an eschar at the bite site, chills, a severe headache, rashes and generalized lymphadenopathy. Most cases of scrub typhus are reported in rural regions of Southeast Asia, Indonesia, China, Japan, India, and northern Australia. As such, anyone residing in or traveling to these areas is at risk of infection.
