Case study of a 68-year-old male with leptospirosis and scrub typhus coinfection associated with acute kidney infection and jaundice

Leptospirosis and scrub typhus are bacterial zoonotic diseases and important causes of acute febrile illness in India. Both are responsible for high morbidity and mortality. Their common epidemiology creates an opportunity of dual infections with these diseases. In the current study, we present a brief medical case report of a 68-year-old male patient who was admitted to the emergency ward of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on early September this year (9.9.2022). The patient was reported to have fever for seven days along with symptoms of weakness, vomiting and urinary incontinence. These were associated with enlarged liver and spleen along yellowish discoloration of urine and scleral icterus. In addition, the patient was diagnosed with acute kidney infection along with thrombocytopenia and generalized septic symptoms. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detected IgM antibodies to both leptospirosis and scrub typhus in the serum of the patient indicating dual infection with the bacterial diseases. The patient showed complete recovery on treatment with antibiotics. The current study adds further to previously published reports on co-infection of leptospirosis and scrub typhus. As both leptospirosis and scrub typhus present with similar clinical features, co-infection of these two diseases is not uncommon. Accordingly, cases of dual infections must be considered seriously and choice of therapy should include those drugs that cover for both the infections.