{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,5]],"date-time":"2026-09-05T01:36:46Z","timestamp":1788572206982,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,25]],"date-time":"2025-07-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1753401600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["TropicalMed"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Scrub typhus (ST) is caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi (OT) infection, which is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected chiggers. The clinical presentations range from mild to life-threatening multi-organ dysfunction. This report describes a cluster of ST cases involving five oil palm estate workers in Pekan district, Pahang, Malaysia. Methods: The clinical history, laboratory, and entomological investigation were conducted on the patients, including the index case and four suspected cases in the cluster. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for OT and genotyping were performed on the patients\u2019 blood and urine samples. Serological testing by indirect immunoperoxidase (IIP) test against Rickettsial diseases was also conducted. Principal Findings: Patients presented with fever, myalgia, headache, rash, cough, and eschar. The index case developed severe ST complicated by acute kidney injury (AKI) and respiratory distress, requiring intubation and ventilation at the intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital. ST was confirmed through PCR analysis of a urine sample, showcasing a novel diagnostic approach. The other four cases were confirmed by a four-fold rise in immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody titers. Conclusions: Oil palm estate workers are at high risk for chigger exposure in Malaysia. Awareness among clinicians and the public of ST is crucial for effective prevention, accurate diagnosis, and optimal management.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/tropicalmed10080208","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,25]],"date-time":"2025-07-25T16:06:17Z","timestamp":1753459577000},"page":"208","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Severe Scrub Typhus with Acute Kidney Injury: Urine PCR Evidence from an East Coast Malaysian Cluster"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Siti","family":"Ramli","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Bacteriology Unit, Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Shah Alam 40170, Selangor, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nuridayu","family":"Arifin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pekan District Health Office, Ministry of Health, Pekan 26600, Pahang, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohd","family":"Ismail","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pekan District Health Office, Ministry of Health, Pekan 26600, Pahang, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shirley","family":"Hii","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bacteriology Unit, Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Shah Alam 40170, Selangor, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nur","family":"Sulaiman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Selangor, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1237-9228","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ernieenor","family":"Lah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Acarology Unit, Infectious Disease Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Shah Alam 40170, Selangor, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nik","family":"Nik Abdul Aziz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Internal Medicine Department, Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Jalan Tanah Putih, Kuantan 25100, Pahang, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4404","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.01526-10","article-title":"Isolation of a novel Orientia species (O. chuto sp. nov.) from a patient infected in Dubai","volume":"48","author":"Izzard","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. 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