Key result
Environmental and occupational exposures in tribal communities of Odisha, India, were associated with a high scrub typhus seroprevalence of 48.95% for IgG and 18.19% for IgM.
Why the study?
What is the prevalence and what are the risk factors of scrub typhus infection among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in Odisha, India?
Cross-Sectional (n=1,485)
Yes
What is the prevalence and what are the risk factors of scrub typhus infection among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in Odisha, India?
There is a high seroprevalence of scrub typhus among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in Odisha, India, which is strongly associated with environmental and occupational risk factors.
This epidemiological study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of scrub typhus infection among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in an Indian state to make more effective management and control strategies. We conducted a tribal community-based cross-sectional survey from June 2022 to May 2023 in 9 PVTG-dominated districts in Odisha, India. A total of 1485 sera samples were collected, both immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies against scrub typhus were tested using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified the scrub typhus-associated risk factors. Out of 1485 participants, the weighted prevalence of IgG was 48.95 % and that of IgM was 18.19 %. Participants were associated with risk factors like: sitting on muddy floors (aOR: 2.00), use of non-concrete materials (aOR: 1.35) in roofing, being involved in agricultural practices (aOR: 1.32), forest collection (aOR: 1.53), childcare (aOR: 1.63) and living in a bigger household (HH) (aOR: 1.27). This is the first study to estimate scrub typhus seroprevalence among PVTG community members in this geographical region. The study highlights the determinants of the disease in PVTGs and recommends refined policies and awareness programs for enriched health quality among these underprivileged PVTG communities.
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Parai et al. (2025) conducted a cross-sectional in Scrub typhus (n=1,485). Environmental and occupational risk factors (e.g., sitting on muddy floors, agriculture, forest collection) vs. Absence of these risk factors was evaluated on Scrub typhus IgG seroprevalence. Environmental and occupational exposures in tribal communities of Odisha, India, were associated with a high scrub typhus seroprevalence of 48.95% for IgG and 18.19% for IgM.
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