6 months ago
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A middle-aged pistillate reportedly died with symptoms of scrub typhus astatine a backstage infirmary successful Vizianagaram district. She was from Mettapalli colony successful Cheepurupalli mandal. The illness is caused by the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi and spreads done bites of infected larval mites.
Health Commissioner G Veerapandian said the Rapid Diagnostic Kit utilized for investigating cannot corroborate whether the decease was owed to scrub typhus, arsenic the ELISA trial was not done. A accelerated effect squad has been asked to investigate.
He said reports of a surge successful cases are inaccurate and that the concern is not alarming. Of the 6,778 samples tested crossed the authorities truthful acold this year, 1,346 were positive. In 2024, 1,613 of 10,150 samples tested positive, and successful 2023, 1,295 of 7,281 samples.
Chittoor has reported the highest fig of infections this twelvemonth astatine 384, followed by Kakinada with 146, Visakhapatnam 124 and YSR Kadapa 97.
In Visakhapatnam, 19 of 210 samples tested successful November were positive. Three patients admitted to King George Hospital are unchangeable and expected to beryllium discharged soon, Superintendent I Vani said. Dr D Radhakrishnan said fever, assemblage pain, rash, a scab-like lesion and swollen lymph nodes are communal symptoms, and the emergence successful detected cases is owed to accrued testing. He said astir patients respond good to doxycycline, fatalities are rare, and those with suppressed immunity oregon co-morbidities are much vulnerable.
Early attraction with antibiotics specified arsenic doxycycline, oregon azithromycin for large women, is important to forestall complications affecting the lungs, liver, kidneys oregon cardinal tense system. Health authorities counsel avoiding overgrown vegetation, wearing protective covering and utilizing repellents to trim vulnerability to mite bites.
(With inputs from K Srinivasa Rao successful Vizianagaram)
