A new deadly infection called Scrub Typhus has increased the concerns in some parts of India. This new infectious disease caused unexpected deaths. A total of 14 deaths were reported in the Indian states of Odisha and Himachal Pradesh. Odisha, till now, has reported five deaths and nine in Himachal Pradesh.
After dengue, there is growing concern about this new infection scrub typhus in Odisha. While dengue cases are rising in the state and regularly being detected , this scrub typhus infection has also been seen.
According to Odisha’s Bargarh Chief District Medical and Public Health Officer, Sadhu Charan Das, out of the five deaths in Bargarh district due to Scrub Typhus, two cases were from Sohela block, while other three were from Attabira, Bheden, and Barpali blocks. He further informed that four other people were from Bargarh also found positive for Scrub Typhus and they have been treated.
Whereas, in Shimla, as per the officials, in the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) hospital a total of 295 cases of the infection have been confirmed in the district. Also there is a considerable increase in patients with symptoms of this Scrub Typhus this deadly infection in this hospital.
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What is Scrub Typhus?
Scrub Typhus, also known as bush typhus, is a bacterial disease caused by bacterium O. tsutsugamushi. It is spread to the people through the bite of a insect chiggers (larval mites). These Chiggers are tiny mites, found in warm, humid areas with dense vegetation like forests, grasslands and bushlands and bite on the skin of animals and humans.
Risk Factors
- People who go to the forest are at risk of getting infected with this disease.
- People especially farmers, who frequent go to their agricultural lands, fields or forest.
- People who are engaged in gardening and outdoor activities are at high risk of getting infected with Scrub Typhus.
Symptoms of Scrub Typhus
About 10 to 12 days after being bitten by the infected mite Chiggers, a person can falls sick with scrub typhus. The symptoms of Scrub Typhus include:
- The skin on the bitten part of the body becomes dead.
- High fever with chills
- Reddish or pinkish spots or rashes on the body
- Severe headache
- Dry cough
- Body aches and muscle pain
- Enlarged lymph node
- Red eyes
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Liver and spleen enlargement
- One week after the fever, a pinkish rash develops over the skin of the trunk and may extend to the arms and legs.
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Prevention
Till now there is no vaccine available for prevention of scrub typhus. Avoid contacts with the infected chiggers, is the only way to reduce the chances of getting scrub typhus.
You can avoid the contacts with infected chiggers to getting infected by it through:
- Rodent control
- Being cautious while handling pets
- Maintaining hygiene
- Cleanliness
- Applying mite repellents while go to the garden or farm over the bared skin
- Clean your surroundings regularly including removal of bush and low vegetation.
Diagnosis and Treatment
The disease can be fatal if it is untreated. If one’s fever continues for several days, then that patients must go through a test to detect the infection. There is a provision for this test to be done by Elisa method in DPHL in all the district hospitals. If the problem will detected, then the treatment is easy. Common antibiotics are work in this case. So, Anyone having fever , they should be examined as soon as possible, said the Director of Public Health.
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