14 February 2026 : Clinical Research
Analysis of the Epidemiological Characteristics and Risk Factors for Severe Progression of Scrub Typhus in the Dali Region of China
Lihua Huang ABCE 1, Mingjing Cheng BC 2, Wei Gu EF 1*, Fuxing Li BCEF 3DOI: 10.12659/MSM.951111
Med Sci Monit 2026; 32:e951111
Table 2 Comparison of clinical characteristics of patients with mild vs severe scrub typhus (ST).
| Variables | Mild ST group (n=370) | Severe ST group (n=89) | Statistic | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 56.00 (47.00, 64.00) | 60.00 (48.00, 65.00) | Z=−2.31 | 0.021 |
| Sex, n (%) | χ=2.78 | 0.095 | ||
| Male | 147 (39.73) | 44 (49.44) | ||
| Female | 223 (60.27) | 45 (50.56) | ||
| Hospitalization time (days) | 6.00 (5.00, 8.00) | 7.00 (5.00, 10.00) | Z=−2.14 | 0.032 |
| Fever, n (%) | χ=1.16 | 0.282 | ||
| No | 13 (3.51) | 6 (6.74) | ||
| Yes | 357 (96.49) | 83 (93.26) | ||
| Chills, n (%) | χ=0.00 | 1.000 | ||
| No | 363 (98.11) | 87 (97.75) | ||
| Yes | 7 (1.89) | 2 (2.25) | ||
| Headache, n (%) | χ=0.02 | 0.900 | ||
| No | 314 (84.86) | 76 (85.39) | ||
| Yes | 56 (15.14) | 13 (14.61) | ||
| Abdominal pain, n (%) | χ=1.06 | 0.302 | ||
| No | 355 (95.95) | 88 (98.88) | ||
| Yes | 15 (4.05) | 1 (1.12) | ||
| Cough, n (%) | χ=6.27 | 0.012 | ||
| No | 325 (87.84) | 69 (77.53) | ||
| Yes | 45 (12.16) | 20 (22.47) | ||
| Expectoration, n (%) | χ=5.75 | 0.016 | ||
| No | 342 (92.43) | 75 (84.27) | ||
| Yes | 28 (7.57) | 14 (15.73) | ||
| Muscular stiffness, n (%) | χ=0.01 | 0.919 | ||
| No | 338 (91.35) | 81 (91.01) | ||
| Yes | 32 (8.65) | 8 (8.99) | ||
| Asthenia, n (%) | χ=0.00 | 0.975 | ||
| No | 333 (90.00) | 80 (89.89) | ||
| Yes | 37 (10.00) | 9 (10.11) | ||
| Poor appetite, n (%) | χ=1.98 | 0.159 | ||
| No | 362 (97.84) | 84 (94.38) | ||
| Yes | 8 (2.16) | 5 (5.62) | ||
| Nausea, n (%) | χ=0.21 | 0.650 | ||
| No | 363 (98.11) | 86 (96.63) | ||
| Yes | 7 (1.89) | 3 (3.37) | ||
| Vomiting, n (%) | χ=0.13 | 0.723 | ||
| No | 361 (97.57) | 88 (98.88) | ||
| Yes | 9 (2.43) | 1 (1.12) | ||
| Prognosis, n (%) | χ=41.72 | <0.001 | ||
| Survival | 370 (100.00) | 78 (87.64) | ||
| Death | 0 (0.00) | 11 (12.36) |