SynthesisPLoS neglected tropical diseases2021
The burden of scrub typhus in India: A systematic review.
Synthesis in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 83 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
83 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 162 citations in OpenAlex.
- Sero-Diagnosis of Scrub Typhus Infection in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH · 2026Pooled it
- Burden of scrub typhus in north-eastern region of India: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis.The Indian journal of medical research · 2026Pooled it
- Spatiotemporal epidemiology and clinical manifestations of two decades of scrub typhus in India: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ global health · 2025Pooled it
- Global and regional seroprevalence, incidence, mortality of, and risk factors for scrub typhus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases · 2024Pooled it
- Unveiling the burden of scrub typhus in acute febrile illness cases across India: A systematic review & meta-analysis.The Indian journal of medical research · 2024Pooled it
- Doxycycline vs azithromycin in patients with scrub typhus: a systematic review of literature and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2023Pooled it
- Intravenous Doxycycline, Azithromycin, or Both for Severe Scrub Typhus.The New England journal of medicine · 2023Trial
- Imaging in scrub typhus - a pictorial review.Abdominal radiology (New York) · 2026Review
- Review
- A rare case of scrub typhus complicated by severe hemolytic anemia, septic shock, and multi-organ dysfunction in a patient with thalassemia.Tropical medicine and health · 2026Article
- Acute respiratory distress syndrome in scrub typhus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Infection · 2026Review
- Article
- Article
- Mapping Scrub Typhus Across Multiple Hosts in India.EcoHealth · 2026Review
- Outcomes of acute kidney injury in critically ill adults with tropical acute febrile illness: Prospective observational study.World journal of critical care medicine · 2026Article
- Epidemiological Trends and Patterns of Scrub Typhus in India: A Retrospective Analysis Based on Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) Data (2009-2018).Indian journal of community medicine : official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine · 2026Article
- Acute Cerebellitis: A Rare Complication of Scrub Typhus.Annals of African medicine · 2026Article
- Article
- Differentiating Spotted Fever From Scrub Typhus Based on Clinical and Laboratory Features: A Retrospective Cohort Study From South India.Open forum infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Article
23 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundScrub typhus, a vector-borne zoonotic infection caused by the bacteria Orientia tsutsugamushi, is one of the most common and clinically important rickettsial infections worldwide. An estimated one million cases occur annually with a high case fatality rate. Although scrub typhus is a major public health threat in India, the burden and distribution remains unclear. We aimed to estimate the burden of scrub typhus in India. METHODOLOGY: We performed a systematic review of published literature on scrub typhus from India to extract information on epidemiology, morbidity, and mortality. Important databases were searched using keywords and appropriate combinations. We identified observational, interventional, and population-based studies and extracted the data to evaluate the number of cases diagnosed using serology or PCR and the number of deaths due to scrub typhus. We conducted a systematic narrative synthesis to summarize included studies. PRINCIPAL
findingsIn the last decade, there were 18,781 confirmed scrub typhus cases reported in 138 hospital-based studies and two community-based studies. IgM ELISA was used in 122 studies to confirm the cases in majority (89%). The proportion of scrub typhus among acute undifferentiated febrile illness (AUFI) studies was 25.3%, and community seroprevalence was 34.2%. Ninety studies had data published on multiple organ involvement out of which 17.4% of cases had multiple organ dysfunction syndromes, 20.4% patients required ICU admission, and 19.1% needed ventilation. The overall case-fatality rate was 6.3%, and the mortality among those with multi-organ dysfunction syndrome was as high as 38.9%. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Scrub typhus, a common acute febrile illness in India causing severe morbidity, accounts for a large number of deaths. The burden of the disease has been underappreciated. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment can significantly reduce complications and mortality. Establishing good surveillance and instituting appropriate control measures are urgently needed.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.