Scrub Typhus Involving Central Nervous System, India, 2004–2006

To the Editor: Scrub typhus, caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, is one of the most common infectious diseases of rural southern Asia, southeastern Asia, and the western Pacific. The disease is transmitted to humans by the bite of larvae of trombiculid mites harboring the pathogen. The disease often appears as a nonspecific febrile illness. The clinical picture of scrub typhus is typically associated with fever, rash, myalgia, and diffuse lymphadenopathy (1). Immunofluorescence assay (IFA) is the test of choice for serodiagnosis of rickettsial diseases (2). Scrub typhus has been reported from northern, eastern, and southern India, and its presence has been documented in at least 11 Indian states (3–7).