Number of scrub typhus patients on the rise

Kolkata: It has become a major concern for health department officials in the state as the number of patients affected with scrub typhus has gone up manifold.

According to an estimate more than 1000 people have been affected in the state in the past three months. However, the figure has not been officially confirmed by the health department.

In the wake up to the situation the health department has already issued directives to various hospitals and medical colleges across the state. Chief medical officers in each district have been asked to keep a tab on the situation.

Following health department's instructions, a monitoring cell has been formed in each medical college in the district to ascertain if any patients are admitted with similar symptoms which are found in such cases.

Senior health department officials will hold a meeting with the district officials to discuss on scrub typhus disease, which has so far claimed two lives in the state.

The health officers in the districts have already been asked to conduct the necessary tests on the patients who are affected with fever for more than five days and complaint similar symptoms. The health officials earlier had sought a report from the chief medical officers of the districts in this regard.

According to the virologists, the disease is spread among people through the bites of infected chiggers (larval mites). Scrub typhus is a disease caused by bacteria called orientia tsutsugamushi and it commonly occurs in rural areas. The most common symptoms of scrub typhus include fever, headache, body aches and rashes. Scrub typhus is a disease that can be treated with antibiotics, if it is detected early, doctors said. They also stressed on the early detection of the disease.