Establishing an external quality assurance scheme for the detection of Orientia tsutsugamushi IgM in clinical samples: Strengthening quality control of scrub typhus diagnosis in Indian laboratories.

ABSTRACT: Scrub typhus, caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, is a re-emerging zoonotic disease that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in many parts of India. Early and accurate diagnosis, primarily through the detection of IgM antibodies, plays a pivotal role in patient management and disease surveillance. However, there is a paucity of diagnostic methods in our country, and only in recent years have more diagnostic assays been rolled out. To address the heterogeneity in the laboratory diagnosis of scrub typhus, an external quality assurance scheme (EQA Scheme) for the detection of O tsutsugamushi IgM (OTM) was conceptualized and implemented across a network of laboratories in India. This study provides detailed insight into the design, implementation, and outcomes of this EQA sche

SUBMITTER: Ratchagadasse VR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12948066 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature