ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2026
Cost of illness of scrub typhus in South India - a population-based, mixed-methods study.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Correction: Cost of illness of scrub typhus in South India - a population-based, mixed-methods study.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundScrub typhus is a potentially life-threatening acute febrile illness found in many parts of Asia. This study aimed to estimate the cost of illness among scrub typhus cases in Tamil Nadu, South India and explore treatment-seeking behaviour. METHODS/PRINCIPAL
findingsCases were enrolled from a population-based cohort study on scrub typhus in 32,279 individuals living in rural villages. Data on direct and indirect costs were collected using structured questionnaires from 311 scrub typhus cases of which 26 were severe. Thirteen cases with severe infections (or their relatives) underwent in-depth interviews to understand treatment-seeking pathways. The mean age of cases was 41.1 years, and 64% were female. The average monthly household income was USD 236 (standard deviation, SD 155). The average number of workdays missed in severe infection was 18 days per episode (SD 22.2) compared to 4 days (SD 11.6) in non-severe illness. The mean overall cost of illness was USD 189 (SD 495), disaggregating to USD 1,321 (SD 1045) for severe cases and USD 86 (SD 209) for non-severe. In both severe and non-severe cases, hospital admission was common (69/311) and was associated with a cost increase of over USD 400. Costs were almost twice as high in males compared to females. Catastrophic health expenditure exceeding 25% of annual income occurred in 10% of cases. Treatment by traditional healers, untrained practitioners, pharmacies and local clinics was sought even for mild fever of short duration. In-depth interviews revealed that patients preferred to have a one-off treatment enabling them to return to daily routines with little demand for fever diagnostics. There was demand for higher level of care and diagnostic procedures only when symptoms became severe or the case was a child or a pregnant woman. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Hospitalisation, common in both severe and non-severe patients, was the driving factor for high costs. Early case recognition may reduce hospitalisations and health expenditure in highly endemic settings.
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