Sundargarh: At least three more people have tested positive for the deadly scrub typhus in Odisha’s Sundargarh district, raising the total number of patients suffering from the dreaded disease to 183.
This was stated by Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Kanhucharan Nayak on Monday. Eleven scrub typhus cases were detected in the district yesterday.
Ten of the scrub typhus patients are from outside Odisha, while nine are from other districts in the state, the CDMO said.
Though the health department has taken several measures to spread awareness about scrub typhus among the people, the disease has been spreading its tentacles in the district.
Scrub typhus test facility is now available at Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) and Sundargarh District Headquarters Hospital (DHH). The health authorities have engaged ASHA and Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife (ANM) volunteers to spread awareness about the disease among the people.
Meanwhile, at least seven people have reportedly died due to the dreaded disease in the state. Six of the deceased hailed from Bargarh district while another person was from Sundargarh.
It may be noted that scrub typhus infection spreads through bites of infected chiggers (larval mites). The common symptoms of the disease include fever, a black inflamed mark on the skin called ‘eschar’ and body ache.
People frequently visiting farmland or forests are vulnerable to the infection. Most of the patients in Sundargarh district are from the Sundargarh Sadar and Balishankara blocks.
Officials said there is ample stock of medicines for the patients and a special team of doctors has been pressed into service to attend to the scrub virus patients in the district.
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