9 More Scrub Typhus Cases Detected In Odisha’s Sundargarh; Tally Rises To 304

Sundergarh: Nine fresh cases of scrub typhus have been detected in Odisha’s Sundergarh, taking the total number of patients in the district to 304 today.

Giving the information about detection of nine more cases, chief district medical officer (CDMO) Kanhucharan Nayak said the health authorities are already undertaking a drive to make people aware of different aspects of the disease and precautions needed to be taken.

The scrub typhus testing facilities are available at two places in the district – Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) and Sundargarh District Headquarters Hospital.

The mite-borne bacterial disease has been on a steady rise in western Odisha, triggering concerns. It has become a huge challenge for the State Health Department and the district administration to curb the highly infectious disease which is spreading rapidly.

Notably, scrub typhus infection spreads through bites of infected chiggers (larval mites). The common symptoms of the disease include fever and a black inflamed mark on the skin called ‘eschar’. People who frequently visit farmland or forests are vulnerable to the infection.