A highly sensitive qPCR assay targeting multicopy transposase genes for scrub typhus diagnosis
Scrub typhus, caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, is frequently misdiagnosed because of non-specific clinical features and the absence of eschar in many patients. Most molecular assays target single-copy genes, potentially limiting sensitivity. We aimed to develop and evaluate a highly sensitive quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay targeting multicopy transposase genes of O. tsutsugamushi.