Title: Thrombocytopenia and Fever during Dengue Epidemic Can Be Scrub Typhus: A Case Report
Authors: Dr Sanjay Fotedar, Dr Anshul Gupta, Dr Varun Yadav, Dr Maninder Hariya
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i2.159
Abstract
In India scrub typhus despite being endemic is grossly underreported, reason being clinical presentation overlapping with other tropical fevers, specific diagnostic facilities lacking in most areas, and low degree of clinical suspicion. Diagnosis is also further masked if it occurs during the epidemic of other tropical fevers like dengue and malaria. Clinically it manifests as febrile illness with constitutional symptoms like fever, rash, myalgia and headache to fatal complications like ARDS, myocarditis, meningoencephalitis, acute renal failure and gastrointestinal bleeding. High degree of clinical suspicion and early diagnosis is important because of an excellent response to treatment and thereby reducing associated life threatening complications. Authors report a case report of scrub typhus presenting as fever with thrombocytopenia, cojunctival chemosis and bilateral bronco-pneumonia during the time when dengue fever is an epidemic.
