Scrub typhus: 1 more dies, team from Centre takes stock of things

Nagpur: The death toll due to scrub typhus reached seven on Thursday. One Liladhar Makode from Narkhed died at the Government Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday night but the death was reported on Thursday.
So far, 26 persons have tested positive for this zoonotic disease in GMCH. Four patients, one each from Madhya Pradesh, Gadchiroli, Bhandara and Narkhed tested positive in the last two days.
“Out of all of the dead patients, no one died due to scrub typhus alone. There were many other co-morbid conditions like kidney failure etc. Most of these patients reported late at the hospital,” said Dr YB Bansod, head of the medicine department at GMCH.
While Maharashtra health minister Deepak Sawant on Wednesday said there was no need to panic, a team from the National Centre for Disease Control, New Delhi insisted on adopting strong measures to prevent deaths as well as disease. The team was in city on Thursday at GMCH.
Scrub typhus is caused from bite of mites living on many small to big animals. They are found in fields full of water like paddy fields. They are also found in shrubs in urban areas. The mite bite leaves an impression like that of a cigarette bud called as Eschar. But this is found only in 30-40% cases only.
The disease was first detected in 2012 in region. Doxycycline is the drug of choice to treat the disease. It prevents death if patient reports early and patient doesn't go in organ failure.