Scrub Typhus in Continental Chile, 2016–2018

Abstract

Endemic scrub typhus was recently detected on Chiloé Island in southern Chile. We report a series of cases, acquired over a wide geographical range in continental Chile during 2016–2018, demonstrating that this emerging rickettsial infection is also found on the mainland of South America.

Keywords

• scrub typhus
• Orientia species
• epidemiology
• South America
• Chile
• vector-borne diseases