Scrub Typhus in Pregnancy: A Retrospective Observational Study From Primary Hospital of Southwest China.
- 1The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province Kunming Yunnan China ypfph.com.
- 2The Affiliated Hospital of Kunming University of Science and Technology Kunming Yunnan China kmust.edu.cn.
- 3The People's Hospital of Ximeng Va Autonomous County Pu'er Yunnan China.
Abstract
Background
Scrub typhus is an acute zoonotic disease caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi. There are limited reports on scrub typhus in pregnancy, and the misdiagnosis rate is relatively high, potentially leading to adverse maternal and fetal outcomes.Methods
This retrospective observational study analyzed 19 pregnant patients with scrub typhus admitted to the People's Hospital of Ximeng Wa Autonomous County, Southwest China, from August 2023 to November 2025. Epidemiological, clinical, test, treatment, and outcome data were collected and descriptively analyzed.Results
All patients were farmers, with 73.68% reporting a history of outdoor activities. Common symptoms included fever (100%), myalgia (78.94%), headache (57.89%), and eschar (94.74%). Laboratory findings revealed elevated transaminases (ALT or AST 94.74%) and decreased eosinophil percentages (89.47%). Initial misdiagnosis occurred in 10.53% (upper respiratory infection). Among the 18 patients treated with azithromycin, fever resolution occurred within 1 to 5 days. No maternal deaths occurred. However, adverse fetal outcomes included spontaneous miscarriage (n = 1), embryonic arrest (n = 1), and embryo demise (n = 3). Among 19 cases, 14 resulted in live births; 2 premature infants required pediatric care, and all live-born newborns showed normal development at six-month follow-up.Conclusions
Scrub typhus in pregnancy poses serious maternal-fetal risks. Early clinical recognition and prompt azithromycin therapy are crucial for improving maternal and perinatal outcomes, especially in resource-limited settings.
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BibTeX
@article{zhang2026scrub,
title = {{Scrub Typhus in Pregnancy: A Retrospective Observational Study From Primary Hospital of Southwest China.}},
author = {Mengji Zhang and Su Pan and Xi Lan and Yueming Li and Xiaomei Wu},
journal = {Journal of tropical medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1155/jotm/4922171},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42865820},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Scrub Typhus in Pregnancy: A Retrospective Observational Study From Primary Hospital of Southwest China.
AU - Mengji Zhang
AU - Su Pan
AU - Xi Lan
AU - Yueming Li
AU - Xiaomei Wu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/11
JO - Journal of tropical medicine
DO - 10.1155/jotm/4922171
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42865820
AB - Background Scrub typhus is an acute zoonotic disease caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi. There are limited reports on scrub typhus in pregnancy, and the misdiagnosis rate is relatively high, potentially leading to adverse maternal and fetal outcomes.Methods This retrospective observational study analyzed 19 pregnant patients with scrub typhus admitted to the People's Hospital of Ximeng Wa Autonomous County, Southwest China, from August 2023 to November 2025. Epidemiological, clinical, test, treatment, and outcome data were collected and descriptively analyzed.Results All patients were farmers, with 73.68% reporting a history of outdoor activities. Common symptoms included fever (100%), myalgia (78.94%), headache (57.89%), and eschar (94.74%). Laboratory findings revealed elevated transaminases (ALT or AST 94.74%) and decreased eosinophil percentages (89.47%). Initial misdiagnosis occurred in 10.53% (upper respiratory infection). Among the 18 patients treated with azithromycin, fever resolution occurred within 1 to 5 days. No maternal deaths occurred. However, adverse fetal outcomes included spontaneous miscarriage (n = 1), embryonic arrest (n = 1), and embryo demise (n = 3). Among 19 cases, 14 resulted in live births; 2 premature infants required pediatric care, and all live-born newborns showed normal development at six-month follow-up.Conclusions Scrub typhus in pregnancy poses serious maternal-fetal risks. Early clinical recognition and prompt azithromycin therapy are crucial for improving maternal and perinatal outcomes, especially in resource-limited settings.
SN - 1687-9686
SN - 1687-9694
ER -