Seroprevalence of Scrub Typhus, Spotted Fever, and Murine Typhus in Vellore District, Tamil Nadu (Research Article)

Author(s): Kalaimani Saravanan, Lisha Jha, John A J Prakash, Rajasekar Aruliah and Ernest David*

Abstract: Background: Rickettsial infections remain under-diagnosed and rarely reported due to limited data on seroprevalence and lack of diagnostic facilities in India. The aim of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of Rickettsial infection in Vellore district, Tamilnadu. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional serosurvey was conducted from September 2017 to February 2018 in seven urban and seven rural areas of Vellore districts of Tamil Nadu. Serum samples were collected from 536 healthy individuals and tested by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for Scrub typhus (ST), Spotted fever (SF), Murine typhus(MT) antibodies at the Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore. Results: Of the 464 participants, 178 (33.2%) were males and 356 (67%) were female. The median age of participants was 42 years (IQR 31-54 years). The majority were either farmers or housewives. Exposure to rickettsial infection was observed in more than 1/3rd of the population surveyed. ST was the commonest among the three diseases surveyed. The seroprevalence of ST, SF, and MT was higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Seroprevalence of dual infection was also calculated and the commonest combination being ST and SFG infections 2.2% (12/536) followed by MT and SF infections 0.3% (2/536). Conclusion: Rickettsial infections are common in the Vellore district and prevalence is higher in rural than urban areas.

PAGES: 56-60  |  210 VIEWS  471 DOWNLOADS