Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Scrub typhus is caused by the bite of a specific insect commonly found in bushes and shrubs. The disease has a mortality rate of 30%. Against this backdrop, the government has instructed all districts to carry out widespread awareness and preventive measures to alert citizens. The district health system has also gone on “alert” mode.
What is Scrub Typhus?
Scrub typhus is a disease spread by a bacterium of the rickettsia group, scientifically called Orientia tsutsugamushi. It spreads to humans when bitten by a particular type of insect that lives in shrubs and bushes.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
At the site of the bite, a small ulcer develops. Other symptoms include fever, headache, body ache, swelling of lymph nodes, dry cough, and rashes. The Weil–Felix test is useful as a screening test, while serological tests confirm the diagnosis. Farmers, agricultural laborers, and people who take cattle into forests for grazing are considered more vulnerable to this disease.
How to Prevent It?
Use insecticides to control insects.
Wear full-sleeve clothing while working in bushes.
Apply insecticides on clothes, bedding, and sheets.
Avoid open defecation.
Wash clothes in hot water after working in shrubs.
Clear small and big shrubs around the house.
Surveys and Preventive Measures
Cases of scrub typhus are being reported in almost all talukas of the district. Accordingly, surveys and preventive actions are being undertaken, with guidelines issued for implementation.
— Dr. Abhay Dhanorkar, District Health Officer