A Case Report on Scrub Typhus in Pediatrics

Abstract

A male child in his first decade presented to a tertiary hospital in the southern region of India with a 5-day history of fever spikes, nonbilious vomiting, decreased food intake, reduced urine output, and abdominal pain for three days. Examination revealed a black eschar on the left deltoid and axillary lymphadenopathy, raising suspicion of an insect bite. The child was admitted, initiated on antibiotics, and underwent a comprehensive fever profile, including tests for dengue, chikungunya, malaria, enteric fever, scrub typhus, CMV, EBV, and TB Quantiferon. A maculopapular chest rash appeared, and results indicated scrub typhus (weakly positive). Doxycycline was initiated, leading to resolution of the rash and fever. Early diagnosis and treatment of scrub typhus are crucial to prevent severe complications, such as organ failure and ARDS. This case underscores the significance of scrub typhus as cause of febrile illness in pediatrics.

Cite this article as: Ho A, Tatikonda N, Venkat Sri Rangan P B. A Case Report on Scrub Typhus in Pediatrics. Pediatr Acad Case Rep. 2026;5(1):5-7.

The parents’ of this patient consent was obtained for this study.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to authorship and/or publication of the article.

The authors received no financial support for the research and/or publication of this article.