Objectives:  i) To compute prevalence of scrub typhus (ST) in AUFI in children presenting to a public teaching hospital in Uttar Pradesh, India and   ii) delineate differentiating features from ST negative patients

Methods: First 3 consecutive children with AUFI seen as outpatients  or admitted on 2 predecided week days who consented for study were enrolled. IgM against ST was tested by commercial ELISA kits. Demographic, clinical and laboratory features were compared between ST positive and negative patients by univariate followed by logistic regression analysis to reach significant independent ‘predictors’ of the diagnosis.

Results : A total of 138 AUFI patients were enrolled of which 29 (21%) were ST IgM positive.  Headache, vomiting, tachypnea, season, rash and low serum albumen were significant independent predictors of the diagnosis.

Conclusions: ST is an important cause of AUFI in children in Uttar Pradesh. The diagnosis can be predicted by certain clinical / laboratory features.