Prevalence and risk factors for scrub typhus in South India. Issue 5 (2nd March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Trowbridge, Paul; P., Divya; Premkumar, Prasanna S.; Varghese, George M.
• Is Part Of: Tropical medicine & international health. Volume 22:Issue 5(2017)
• Page Start: 576
• Page End: 582
• Publication Date: 2017-03-02
• Subjects: scrub typhus -- prevalence -- risk factors -- South India; typhus des broussailles -- prévalence -- facteurs de risque -- sud de l'Inde; tifus exantémico -- prevalencia -- factores de riesgo -- sur de la India; Tropical medicine -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 616.988
• DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12853
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1360-2276

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of scrub typhus in Tamil Nadu, South India. Methods: We performed a clustered seroprevalence study of the areas around Vellore. All participants completed a risk factor survey, with seropositive and seronegative participants acting as cases and controls, respectively, in a risk factor analysis. After univariate analysis, variables found to be significant underwent multivariate analysis. Results: Of 721 people participating in this study, 31.8% tested seropositive. By univariate analysis, after accounting for clustering, having a house that was clustered with other houses, having a fewer rooms in a house, having fewer people living in a household, defecating outside, female sex, age >60 years, shorter height, lower weight, smaller body mass index and smaller mid‐upper arm circumference were found to be significantly associated with seropositivity. After multivariate regression modelling, living in a house clustered with other houses, female sex and age >60 years were significantly associated with scrub typhus exposure. Conclusions: Overall, scrub typhus is much more common than previously thought. Previously described individual environmental and habitual risk factors seem to have less importance in South India, perhaps because of the overall scrub typhus‐conducive nature of the environment in this region.