scrub typhus

noun

, Pathology.

1. an infectious disease occurring chiefly in Japan and the East Indies, caused by the organism Rickettsia tsutsugamushi, transmitted by mites through biting.

scrub typhus

noun

1. an acute febrile disease characterized by severe headache, skin rash, chills, and swelling of the lymph nodes, caused by the bite of mites infected with the microorganism Rickettsia tsutsugamushi: occurs mainly in Asia, Australia, and the islands of the western Pacific

Word History and Origins

Origin of scrub typhus¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Leptospirosis and scrub typhus are bacterial infections, while malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite.

From Seattle Times

Blood tests for scrub typhus, a disease spread through bites from infected larval mites, and another disease, henipavirus, also came up negative, he said.

From New York Times

In one region, herpesvirus, typhoid fever, and leptospirosis might be the top culprits, whereas dengue, scrub typhus, and Japanese encephalitis might be more common in another.

From Science Magazine

Until 2006, scrub typhus was thought to be limited to an area called the "tsutsugamushi triangle", from Pakistan in the west to far eastern Russia in the east to northern Australia in the south.

From Reuters

An outbreak of scrub typhus, a mite-borne disease that causes high fevers, sickened dozens of the hospital’s personnel and killed eight.

From Washington Times