Chitwan: Out of a total of 7,095 patients who sought treatment at various health facilities in Chitwan over the last fiscal year, 1,055 individuals were diagnosed with scrub typhus. Among those infected, 395 were men and 660 were women. The District Public Health Office, Chitwan, reported that one individual succumbed to the disease during this period.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the Health Office detailed the distribution of cases across different municipalities. In Bharatpur Metropolitan City, 80 men and 134 women were diagnosed with scrub typhus. In Khairahani Municipality, there were 22 men and 48 women affected. Madi Municipality reported six men and five women, while Ratnanagar Municipality had 53 men and 77 women who tested positive for the infection. Additionally, Rapti Municipality had 24 men and 33 women affected by scrub typhus in the last fiscal year which ended in mid-July.
The report further indicated that Kalika Municipality saw 22 men and 31 women infected, and Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality had 10 men and 14 women diagnosed with scrub typhus. Notably, 178 men and 318 women from other districts also tested positive for the infection during laboratory tests conducted at Chitwan hospitals.
The previous fiscal year saw 552 scrub typhus cases reported out of 3,800 tests conducted, indicating a significant rise in cases. Vector Control Inspector of the Public Health Office, Chitwan, Ram KC, emphasized the need for timely treatment to save patients and the importance of widespread awareness campaigns to control the disease. He urged local communities to focus on maintaining community hygiene.
Additionally, 30 new cases of scrub typhus were reported in the past two weeks. The disease, caused by the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi, is transmitted to humans through bites from infected mites, commonly found on rodents. Symptoms include high fever, red eyes, coughing, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, breathing difficulties, body pain, and sometimes black spots at the bite site.
Preventive measures recommended for the public include wearing long-sleeved clothing, using insect repellent, maintaining clean surroundings, trimming grass near homes, and controlling rodents through proper grain storage. The first case of scrub typhus in Chitwan was reported in 2015, and Vector Control Inspector KC noted a year-on-year increase in cases recently.