As of July 15, 2013, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) have confirmed a total of 147 cases of scrub typhus, including one death, in Taiwan this year. As the summer travel season and the peak of the scrub typhus season have approached, the public is advised to take precautions against scrub typhus when doing outdoor activities.

According to Taiwan CDC’s surveillance data, most confirmed cases reside in Taitung County and Penghu County (33 cases reported respectively in each county), followed by those that reside in Kinmen County (14 cases) and those that reside in Hualien County (13 cases). According to the past year surveillance data, areas at increased risk for scrub typhus in Taiwan include Kinmen County, Penghu County, Hualien County and Taitung County.

Scrub typhus is a disease that is prevalent in or unique to tropical and subtropical regions and transmitted by chiggers. Rodents are primary hosts for chiggers. Chiggers like to stay at the tips of weeds, waiting for an opportunity to attach to passing humans or animals. Therefore, the chance of becoming infected with scrub typhus is much higher when people walk through bush areas. After being bitten by the chigger, an eschar will form over the bite, and the incubation period usually ranges from 9 to 12 days.   Subsequently, symptoms such as fever, headache, sweating and swelling or inflammation of the lymph gland will begin to develop. After having had fever for about 1 week, a dark red papule will appear in the trunk, spread to extremities, and disappear after several days. If scrub typhus is not treated properly, its mortality rate can be as high as 60%.

Taiwan CDC urges the public to take prevention measures when visiting bush areas to prevent infection. Some of the prevention measures for scrub typhus include wearing protective clothing such as long-sleeve shirts and pants, applying insect repellents to exposed skin to prevent chigger bites, and changing clothes and taking a shower immediately after a visit to the bush area to reduce the risk of infection. If suspicious symptoms develop, please seek medical attention immediately and inform the doctor of your travel history to serve as a reference for clinical diagnosis. Simultaneously, Taiwan CDC urges physicians to stay vigilant for suspected cases of scrub typhus .

For any questions or further information on scrub typhus, please call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Care Hotline, 1922, or 0800-024582 if calling from a cell phone, or visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw.