Scrub Typhus Outbreak in Odisha: Over 170 Cases and 7 Fatalities
In Odisha’s Sundargarh district, the number of scrub typhus cases has risen to 180, with eleven new cases reported on Sunday. Out of 59 samples tested, 11 were confirmed positive for scrub typhus. Of these cases, ten individuals are from outside Odisha, and nine are from different districts within the state. The Chief District Medical Officer of Sundergarh, Kanhucharan Nayak, provided this information.
Scrub typhus is transmitted through bites from infected chiggers, which are larval mites. Health officials advise individuals with persistent fever lasting four or five days to undergo a free scrub typhus test. Testing facilities are available at Rourkela Government Hospital and the Sundargarh district health center.
To raise awareness about the disease, the health department is mobilizing Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife volunteers. So far, seven deaths related to scrub typhus have been reported in Odisha, with six in Bargarh district and one in Sundargarh.
In response to the outbreak, a medical team from the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) in Burla was dispatched to Bargarh to assess the situation and recommend control measures. Currently, Bargarh district has eleven active cases.
People who frequently visit farmlands or forests are particularly susceptible to scrub typhus infection. Common symptoms of scrub typhus include fever and the development of a dark inflamed mark on the skin known as an ‘eschar.’
