An Unusual Clinical Presentation of Scrub Typhus

Scrub typhus is still underdiagnosed despite a resurgence in incidence as the clinical presentation is often atypical leading to low index of suspicion among clinicians. We report a case of a young girl presenting as lobar pneumonia and diagnosed as scrub typhus. Despite such a classical picture of community-acquired pneumonia on clinical presentation and radiological findings the patient was found to have scrub typhus serologically thereby posing a diagnostic dilemma. Upon serological confirmation, doxycycline therapy was initiated followed by a rapid and complete resolution of pneumonia, both clinically and radiographically. This case report highlights the importance of recognizing an uncommon clinical presentation of this common tropical disease and its prompt diagnosis and treatment.