What is scrub typhus | Explained

The death of an Anna University student at Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital (KMCH) on Friday (September 18, 2026), due to scrub typhus, has once again brought this bacterial infection to the fore. University authorities have said they have started screening students for scrub typhus as well, along with dengue and leptospirosis

Scrub typhus is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi . It is spread by the bite of infected larval mites or chiggers -- it is not a mosquito-borne disease.