Scrub typhus threat: State allots Rs 30L for procuring IGM Elisa testing kits

kolkata: In the wake of some scrub typhus cases being reported in the city, state Health department has allotted a fund of around Rs 30 lakh for procuring IGM Elisa kits which will be sent to various medical colleges, district and sub-divisional hospitals in the state.

Health department officials are not taking scrub typhus issue lightly and utmost importance has been given on the testing. Many kits will be sent to different hospitals so that tests can be performed on the suspected patients. Additional kits will be sent to 44 government hospitals.

The Health department has already alerted the various district administrations to spread awareness among people so that the infection can be identified at the initial level.

More than 10 children have been affected with scrub typhus in the city.

A child from Jodhpur Park has been affected by scrub typhus whose condition has turned critical.

He had been put under ventilation. Most of the patients are running a high temperature and many of them have various other symptoms, which include vomiting.

The senior district administrative officials have also been asked to keep a tab on the situation. Scrub typhus appeared in various South Bengal districts earlier as well.

The districts where the maximum number of scrub typhus cases had been reported were Murshidabad, Bankura, Birbhum, Hooghly and East Midnapore.

The disease is spread among people through the bites of infected chiggers (larval mites).

The disease is spread among people through the bites of infected chiggers. Scrub typhus, also known as bush typhus, is a disease caused by bacteria called Orientia tsutsugamushi and it commonly occurs in rural areas.