Scrub typhus is an endemic disease so people should be cautious: CMO Rakesh Pratap

The district level monthly review meeting of the District Shimla Health Department was held under the chairmanship of Chief Medical Officer Dr. Rakesh Pratap in which various burning issues related to health were discussed in detail. BMOs and other medical officers of ten medical blocks of District Shimla participated in the meeting.
In the review meeting, the Chief Medical Officer evaluated the progress and work of various health blocks and also issued important guidelines for providing better health facilities. In the meeting, necessary guidelines were issued on important health issues such as scrub typhus, vaccination, climate change management, Ayushman Arogya Camp, road safety etc. The CMO issued necessary instructions to the medical officers of all health blocks for the prevention and management of scrub typhus.
He told that Scrub Typhus is an endemic disease. It affects the internal organs of the human body. If not treated on time, it can lead to death. He told that seeing the increasing cases of Scrub Typhus, we need to be very cautious. This disease spreads due to the bite of a chancre infected with a special bacterium Rickettsia which grows in rats living in bushes and grass in the fields. This bacterium enters the body through the skin due to which fever occurs. In this disease, high fever can go up to 104 to 105 degrees. Due to this, there is cramps, stiffness or the body seems to be broken. Due to its high infection, symptoms like lumps on the neck, below the elbows are found.
The Chief Medical Officer appealed to the general public that to prevent this disease, keep the whole body, especially legs, feet and arms covered while working in the bushes in the fields and take a bath and change clothes after work, take care of body hygiene. Keep the house and surrounding environment clean. Do not let grass and weeds grow around the house. Spray insecticides inside and around the house. He told that in Shimla district, the facility of testing and treatment of scrub typhus is being provided free of cost at Indira Gandhi Medical College Shimla.