Kathmandu: Chitwan has reported four deaths from scrub typhus in the current fiscal year, with one occurring within the district and the remaining three from outside the district, according to the Health Office, Chitwan.
Vector control inspector, Ram KC, said that so far in the current fiscal year, there have been 163 confirmed cases of scrub typhus out of 3,254 tests. Among the infected individuals, four have succumbed to the disease caused by the bacteria Orientia tsutsugamushi. Of the infected cases, 88 are from Chitwan, and the remaining cases are from other districts.
In the last fiscal year, 519 cases of scrub typhus infection were identified through tests conducted on 3,485 individuals who visited district-based hospitals for treatment. All infected individuals recovered following treatment. Scrub typhus bacteria do not directly transmit to humans but infect mites found in vegetation. The infected mites, primarily cigar mites, transmit the bacteria to other animals and humans.
Symptoms of scrub typhus include severe fever, reddish eyes, coughing, vomiting, stomach pain, loose bowels, breathing difficulties, joint and muscle pain, skin rashes, and sometimes the appearance of a black post at the site of the bite.
Similarly, the number of reported dengue cases in the district since July 17 is 1,615, following 21,298 tests. One death has been reported from the disease, and the death occurred outside Chitwan.
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