Scrub Typhus Claims 6 Lives in Odisha, 9 in Himachal Pradesh, Know the Deadly Infection

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: Highly infectious Scrub Typhus claimed six lives in Odisha. Nine people have succumbed to the infection in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla.

Five persons died of this deadly infection in Odisha’s Bargarh district. Two of them were from the Sohela block, while the rest were from the Attabira, Bheden, and Barpali blocks of Bargarh district.

According to official sources, one person in the Sundargarh district of Odisha lost his life due to Scrub Typhus. Since January, Sundargarh has recorded 132 positive cases of Scrub typhus.

In the Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh, a total of 295 cases of Scrub Typhushas infection have been confirmed with nine deaths.

Scrub typhus is a disease transmitted by chiggers, primarily affecting individuals like farmers who frequently visit farmlands or forests. Its most common symptoms include persistent fever and itchy, inflamed skin bumps known as “eschar.” Left untreated, scrub typhus can have severe and potentially fatal consequences.

Early detection is crucial, and it can be accomplished through the ELISA system. Timely diagnosis enables effective treatment.

The disease has been predominantly detected in Bargarh, Nabarangpur, and Sundergarh districts in Odisha, with Keonjhar district reporting the highest number of cases.

Scrub Typhus is caused by a bacteria called Orientia tsutsugamushi and is not directly transmitted from person to person. It is exclusively spread through the bites of chiggers, a type of trombiculid mite from the genus Leptotrombidium.