Odisha Govt On Alert Mode After Scrub Typhus Kills 5 People
Following the deaths of six people from scrub typhus in the districts of Bargarh and Sundargarh, the Odisha government has directed all district health officials to increase surveillance and testing.
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Bhubaneswar: Following the deaths of six people from scrub typhus in the districts of Bargarh and Sundargarh, the Odisha government has directed all district health officials to increase surveillance and testing.
They have been instructed to follow the treatment protocol, including the right use of medicines, in order to limit the highly infectious scrub typhus and leptospirosis, both of which are bacterial diseases with symptoms similar to high fever, vomiting, muscle ache, and abdominal pain. While scrub typhus is disseminated through bites from infected larval mites, leptospirosis is transferred through contact with diseased animals' urine.
Because early detection and treatment are critical for the cure of various diseases, CDMOs, Capital Hospital, and Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) authorities have been asked to provide timely treatment.
"Most districts have reported cases of scrub typhus and leptospirosis." To ensure prompt treatment, an intensive surveillance system for early diagnosis is required. "The district health authorities have also been asked to provide daily updates to the government on scrub typhus cases," Public Health director Niranjan Mishra said on Thursday.
Health officials have been directed to ensure that test kits and medicines are readily available in district public health laboratories (DPHLs).
Currently, 12 patients are being treated for scrub typhus at the VSS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) in Burla. Aside from Bargarh and Sundargarh, the disease has been documented in Jharsuguda, Balangir, Keonjhar, and Nabarangpur.
"Although most districts are reporting around two cases per day, the exact situation will become clear once data from all districts begins to come in," Mishra added.
The fatality rate is less than 6%, according to VIMSAR authorities. The six deaths are being blamed on delayed diagnosis and treatment.
"In Sundargarh district, 132 scrub typhus positive cases have been detected since January, with almost all people cured." "However, we received a report claiming that a patient died as a result of scrub typhus," Sundargarh CDMO Kanhu Charan Nayak was cited in the media as saying.
The patient had multiple disorders and had been in the intensive care unit for 20 days. He stated that an inquiry is underway to determine the exact cause of death.
Two people from Sohela block and one each from Bheden, Barpali, and Attabira blocks have died as a result of the sickness in Bargarh.
The Health Department has also recommended people, particularly those who work in farmlands, to take precautions such as adequate cleaning, wearing protective clothing when farming, and engaging in gardening and forest work.
