Analysis of the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 65 patients with scrub typhus on the east coast of China.

BACKGROUND

The present study set out to investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 65 patients with tsutsugamushi disease.

METHODS

The clinical data of 65 patients with tsutsugamushi disease, who were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical symptoms, laboratory examination results, clinical treatment plans, treatments, and outcomes of the patients were analyzed.

RESULTS

The 65 patients with tsutsugamushi disease, included 40 males (61.54%) and 25 females (38.46%). The patients were aged from 1 year and 7 months to 88 years old, and the peak age was 60-70 years old. Geographically, the patients were concentrated in Rugao and Tongzhou District. Infections were most common between October and December (categorized as "autumn type"), and peaked in November. Farmers had the highest infection rate of any occupation (66%). All patients had the symptom of fever, with the body temperature of 60 (92.31%) patients exceeding 38.5 °C, while 58 (89%) and 51 (78%) patients had characteristic eschar and skin rash, respectively. There were 56 (86.15%) patients with varying degrees of liver damage, 8 (12.31%) cases of elevated D-dimer, 3 (4.62%) cases of myocardial injury, 38 (58.46%) cases of superficial lymph node enlargement, 8 (12.31%) cases of splenomegaly, and 2 cases (3.08%) of bulbar conjunctival congestion. Of the 65 patients enrolled, the overall misdiagnosis rate of first medical contact was 64.62.

CONCLUSIONS

Tsutsugamushi disease, infection has obvious seasonality and a susceptible population, especially among farmers and the elderly.