Scrub Typhus Outbreak in Odisha: Sundargarh Reports 11 New Cases

Bhubaneswar: Eleven more scrub typhus cases were detected in Odisha’s Sundargarh district on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases to 180. Out of 59 samples sent for testing, 11 were confirmed positive for the disease.

Ten of the infected individuals are from outside Odisha, and nine are from other districts. The district had reported seven positive cases on Saturday.

Scrub typhus is transmitted through the bites of infected chiggers, which are larval mites. Symptoms include fever and the development of a black inflamed mark on the skin known as an ‘eschar.’

Testing for scrub typhus is being conducted at Rourkela Government Hospital and the Sundargarh district health centre. The health department is also deploying ASHA and ANM volunteers to raise awareness about the disease.

Odisha has already seen seven deaths attributed to scrub typhus, with six reported in Bargarh district and one in Sundargarh.

A three-member medical team from VIMSAR, Burla, was dispatched to Bargarh on Saturday to assess the situation and propose control measures. Currently, there are 11 active cases in Bargarh district.

People who frequently visit farmland or forests are particularly susceptible to this infection.