Do birds spread scrub typhus?

We are performing surveys of wild birds in Malaysia and Thailand to determine if they may carry Orientia-infected chiggers. We are also examining backyard chickens for chigger infestation in these countries and conducting serological studies to assess their exposure to Orientia, in case chickens constitute an overlooked reservoir of disease.

Scrub typhus is a neglected febrile illness that can lead to life-threatening complications if not treated promptly. It is caused by an intracellular bacterium, Orientia tsutsugamushi, and is transmitted by the tiny larval stage of parasitic mites known as chiggers. The disease is widespread in the Asia-Pacific Region and has recently been identified in new endemic foci in the Middle East and South America.

Scrub typhus is a zoonosis most often associated with rodents, which are a key natural host for chigger mites. However, chiggers are also found on birds, including species that migrate seasonally over thousands of miles between different scrub typhus-endemic regions.