Six new scrub typhus cases have been detected in Sundargarh district, taking the total number to 361 in the district.
Though the scrub typhus cases are on the rise in the district, the medicines are in stock. The testing facility is also available at the District Headquarters Hospital and the Rourkela Government Hospital, said Chief District Medical Officer in-charge Dr Kanhu Charan Nayak.
He said a special team of doctors is also ready for the treatment of patients. The villagers are being informed about the disease through an awareness campaign.
Scrub typhus is transmitted by the bites of infected chiggers (larval mites). It is spread to people especially farmers who frequently visit farmlands or forests. The most common symptoms of the disease include fever. The chigger bites can cause itchy, inflamed bumps on the skin called ‘eschar’. It is one of the infections; and if left untreated, can have fatal consequences.