Chitwan, August 7

A woman infected with scrub typhus succumbed to the disease while undergoing treatment at a health facility in Chitwan today.

District Public Health Office, Chitwan, stated that the 24-year-old woman from Nawalparasi’s Rajhar was among the 75 persons infected with the bacterial disease in the district.

She was being treated at Narayani Community Hospital. Kit control inspector at the District Public Health Office Ram Kumar KC said the deceased was admitted to the hospital on Saturday.

KC said the woman was referred to Narayani Community Hospital, as she had to be kept in ICU. Earlier, she was being treated at Central Hospital, Bharatpur. KC said 264 persons were suspected of being infected with scrub typhus, and 75 tested positive for the bacteria in the last one month.

According to KC, 23 patients of scrub typhus are being treated at Bharatpur Hospital, 31 at Narayani Community Hospital, 15 at Chitwan Medical College, four at Ratnanagar Bakulahar Hospital and two at Manakamana Hospital. Of the total typhus patients, 33 are from Chitwan, 19 from Nawalparasi, four from Tanahun, two from Rupandehi and Sarlahi, and one each from Syangja, Makawanpur and Gorkha. As many as 509 patients had tested positive for scrub typhus in the district last year. Of them, four had succumbed to scrub typhus.

Rise of typhus infection means shortage of test kits required to examine the infection in the district. KC said the Department of Drugs had not sent the kits though it was informed about the kit crunch in writing. Private hospitals are examining the infection at an exorbitant fee. Scrub examination is free at government hospitals, while private hospitals charge up to Rs 2,500.

Carriers

The louse, flea, tick, or mite becomes a carrier of the bacteria when they feed on the blood of an infected person or an infected rodent

Symptoms

• Swollen lymph nodes
• Tiredness
• Red lesion or sore on the skin at the site of bite
• Cough
• Rashes