Scrub Typhus Infection Precipitating Hemolysis in a Patient With G6PD Deficiency: A Case Report

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a well-known red blood cell enzymopathy and a cause of intravascular hemolysis. This case report presents a child with underlying G6PD deficiency who experienced an acute episode of extensive intravascular hemolysis induced by a scrub typhus infection. The key takeaway from this report is that scrub typhus infection can trigger extensive hemolysis in patients with even “mild” G6PD deficiency, and normal G6PD levels found during the acute phase of hemolysis do not rule out the possibility of underlying G6PD deficiency.