Explained | All about Scrub typhus, the infection killing people in Himachal, Rajasthan

Scrub typhus is making headlines again after the bacterial infection became the reason for the death of a 19-year-old IIT-JEE aspirant in Rajasthan’s Kota. The infection is also spreading in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh and as per in the Statesman report, five deaths have been reported in the state with the number of infections crossing 700.

With the infection spreading rapidly, it is important to know the details of this deadly infection called the scrub typhus.

What is scrub typhus?

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States, scrub typhus, also known as bush typhus, is a disease caused by a bacteria called 'Orientia tsutsugamushi'. It spreads through bites of infected larval mites.

These mites are usually found in bushes and grass and therefore the infections flare up with the onset of monsoon.

Most cases of this bacterial infection are found in rural areas of Southeast Asia, Indonesia, China, Japan, India, and northern Australia.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of scrub typhus include fever, headache, body aches, and sometimes rash.

As per the US’ Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of the infection begin about 10 days after being bitten by an infected mite.

The symptoms of the infection may include:

• Fever and chills

• Headache

• Body aches and muscle pain

• A dark, scab-like region at the site of the chigger bite

• Mental changes, ranging from confusion to coma

• Enlarged lymph nodes

• Rash

A spokesperson from the Himachal Health Department told the Statesman that, If a person is suffering from fever along with pain and shivering in the joints or there are cramps, stiffness in the body or the body feels as if it is broken and also has lumps in the neck, under the arms and above the hips due to excessive infection, then immediately the person needs to consult the nearest doctor,” said the spokesperson.

Threat

“It has overlapping symptoms in monsoon season with malaria, dengue and other febrile illnesses — making overt diagnosis and management both challenging and crucial,” Dr Neha Rastogi, consultant, infectious disease, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram told the Indian Express.

She also added that without treatment, severe cases can lead to organ dysfunction, including respiratory and renal failure.

Prevention

Even though there is no vaccine for this disease, the risk of getting infected can be highly reduced by taking precautions so that one does not come into contact with the risky bacteria.

Avoiding areas with a lot of bushes and vegetation and even if one can not avoid them, covering their hands, feets and arms fully is a good precautionary step.

Using insect repellents and keeping cleanliness around your house by keeping too much grass and weeds away is also among the recommended ways to ensure distance from the infected mites.