ST cases touch 24 in Shimla; CMO sounds fresh Monsoon advisory
Shimla, Sep 3
With 24 confirmed cases of scrub typhus reported in Shimla district during the current monsoon season, the Health Department has issued a fresh public health advisory, urging people to take precautions against the mite-borne infection.
Chief Medical Officer, Shimla, Dr Yash Pal Ranta, said the public should remain vigilant, particularly while working or spending time in areas with bushes, grass, fields and dense vegetation, where infected larval mites are commonly found.
Scrub typhus is transmitted through the bite of infected larval mites. The common symptoms include fever, severe headache, body aches, chills, weakness, rash and swollen lymph nodes. In some cases, patients may develop an eschar—a dark, scab-like lesion at the site of the mite bite.
The CMO has advised people to avoid sitting or lying directly on grass or bare ground and to wear full-sleeved clothes, long trousers and covered footwear while working in fields or areas with dense vegetation.
Residents have also been asked to keep grass, weeds and bushes trimmed around their houses and maintain cleanliness in and around their homes. Those working in fields or vegetation-covered areas should bathe and change or wash their clothes after returning home.
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The Health Department has cautioned people against self-medication and advised anyone with persistent fever, severe headache, body aches or other suggestive symptoms to seek medical advice promptly.
Dr Ranta said scrub typhus is treatable when diagnosed early. Adequate stocks of medicines required for its treatment have been ensured at all health facilities across the district.
The department is closely monitoring the situation and has directed health institutions to maintain surveillance, ensure early diagnosis and timely treatment, and report confirmed cases.
The advisory assumes significance as the monsoon creates conditions conducive to the spread of scrub typhus, making early recognition of symptoms and preventive measures particularly important.
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