Raiganj: Panic grips residents due to outbreak of scrub typhus

Raiganj: Scrub typhus panic has gripped the residents of Raiganj after 26 patients admitted at the Raiganj Government Medical College & Hospital of North Dinajpur district were diagnosed with the disease in the last few days.

Patients with fever and body ache usually undergo dengue, scrub typhus tests at the hospital. Scrub typhus is caused by a bacteria called Orientia tsutsugamushi and is transmitted through bites of infested mites. However, no fatality has yet been reported due to the disease in this hospital. The patients are recovering with treatment and the disease is not contagious. One Chand Mohan Barman, of Mahipur, said: “My 23-year-old son had high fever with acute body ache for the last three days. We admitted him to Raiganj Government Medical College & Hospital on Saturday. He had neither malaria nor dengue. The doctors suspected that he had been infected by scrub typhus. The test has been done and we are awaiting the report.”

Professor of community medicine of Raiganj Government Medical College & Hospital, Bidyut Banerjee, said: “In the last few days, around 26 patients got admitted with scrub typhus at our medical college and most of them were cured after treatment. After getting the bite of mite, patients develop high fever with body ache. During monsoon, the mites are found in abundance so the surroundings of the houses should be clean. In our medical college, tests and treatment for scrub typhus are available so there is nothing to panic about.”