Scenario of scrub typhus disease in mizoram, northeast india

Scrub typhus belongs to a group of Rickettsial diseases caused by an obligate intracellular gram-negative bacterium, Orientia tsutsugamushi. From January 2012, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) Mizoram initiated the collection and recording of scrub typhus disease data from District hospitals and Private hospitals of the state. There were 907 confirmed cases and 34 death cases from January 2012 to July 2017. All age groups were affected while the younger age groups were affected more.The maximum number of cases was recorded from the age group of 20-30 years with 20.94% from the total number of cases. The median age was 34 years. Predilection between sexes was observed from the recorded data as males (58.22%) outnumbered females (41.71%) in terms of seropositivity. Perennial transmission of scrub typhus is observed in Mizoram as confirmed cases were recorded throughout the year and cases gradually increased with the monsoon. Cases were gradually increases with a peak in the month of October and November. Scrub typhus cases has been reported from 168 human habitations comprising of villages and towns inside the state. It is increasingly becoming a major public health concern in the state due to its endemicity, morbidity and mortality.