Scrub typhus with visual hallucinations.

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Neurology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Scrub typhus, a zoonotic illness caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, is typically characterized by fever, rash, and eschar.
• Neurological complications of scrub typhus are known but often underreported.
• Psychiatric manifestations are particularly uncommon in the literature concerning scrub typhus.

Observation:

• A patient presented with symptoms suggestive of scrub typhus.
• During the course of illness, the patient developed distinct visual hallucinations.
• This observation prompted further investigation into the neurological and psychiatric aspects of the disease.

Findings:

• The diagnosis of scrub typhus was confirmed.
• The visual hallucinations were identified as a key psychiatric symptom in this case.
• This case adds to the limited understanding of neuropsychiatric presentations of scrub typhus.

Implications:

• Clinicians should consider scrub typhus in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with unexplained psychiatric symptoms, especially in endemic areas.
• This case underscores the importance of recognizing diverse neurological and psychiatric manifestations of infectious diseases.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying psychiatric symptoms in scrub typhus and their frequency.