Scrub Typhus Leading to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, Assam, India

Abstract

To determine the contribution of Orientia tsutsugamushi, the agent of scrub typhus, as a cause of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) in Assam, India, we conducted a retrospective study of hospital patients with symptoms of AES during 2013–2015. Our findings suggest that O. tsutsugamushi infection leads to AES and the resulting illness and death.

Keywords

• Scrub typhus
• AES
• Assam
• India
• vector-borne infections
• bacteria