Scrub Typhus reported in various Odisha dists; Top health official issues advisory

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Health Department raised concern over the outbreak of scrub typhus that is rapidly spreading across the state.

Talking to media here today, Odisha Public Health Director Dr. Niranjan Mishra alerted people about the mite-borne disease.

“Scrub typhus is a disease transmitted by chiggers. It is spread to people especially farmers who frequently visit farmland or forest. The most common symptoms of scrub typhus include fever. The chigger bites can cause itchy, inflamed bumps on the skin called ‘eschar’. It is one of the infections if left untreated, can have fatal consequences,” Mishra said.

Scrub typhus can be detected through ELISA system available at the District Public Health Laboratory of all District Headquarters Hospitals in the state. If diagnosed early, the disease can be treated effectively, he said.

The health official suggested patients infected with scrub typhus for medical tests if they have symptoms like continuous fever.

The scrub typhus cases are detected mostly Bargarh, Nabarangpur and Sundergarh districts in Odisha. However, Keonjhar district reported the highest number of cases.

Notably, scrub typhus is a disease caused by a bacteria called Orientia tsutsugamushi. It is not transmitted directly from human to human. It is only spread by the bites of chigger, a trombiculid mite belonging to the genus Leptotrombidium.