Following dozens of deaths in Uttar Pradesh due to the rapidly spreading bacterial infection scrub typhus, cases of the same has been reported from two hospitals in New Delhi.
The infection, which is predominantly seen in children, develops as dengue with very similar symptoms. However, a blood test will rule out dengue and ascertain the mite bite.
Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya and Aakash Healthcare of Dwaraka are the two hospitals where the cases of scrub typhus were reported.
As per a senior doctor working at the Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya, the patient was treated with oral medications. Meanwhile, Akash Healthcare’s Dr Meena J, a consultant at their Department of Paediatrics, said that the patient admitted to their hospital was a 6-year-old child.
He received oral medication for the scrub typhus infection. As he was not presented with a severe form of infection, he was discharged after the treatment. After suffering from a fever for 2 weeks, a blood test was carried out following which, scrub typhus was diagnosed.
Speaking about the similarities in symptoms between dengue and scrub typhus, Dr Manish Mannan, Head of Department, Paediatrics and Neonatology, Paras Hospitals, Gurugram, said that untimely management of the infection can become fatal for children. While the infection is transmitted by mites, there are up to 50 per cent chances of death, he said.
Symptoms of scrub typhus start appearing seven to ten days post the mite bite. These begin as fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdomen pain, and body aches and can progress to more severe conditions in some cases, including altered sensorium, difficulties in breathing, severe cough and confusion, Dr Vineeta Singh Tandon, consultant of internal medicine at the PSRI Hospital said.
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“These are caused when the major organs of the body are affected, leading to various complications like myocarditis (heart), hepatitis (liver), meningitis (brain) and kidney injury,” Dr Tandon said.
As there is no vaccine available till now for scrub typhus, prevention is the best cure for it. With these mites known to be occupants of heavy vegetation and bushy areas, children need to avoid such places and remain fully covered with clothes to prevent any chance of the mites biting them.
The infection was recently reported from Uttar Pradesh where over 51 children died, though sources claim that the number is much higher as at least 80 deaths were reported from Firozabad alone, where the first case was recorded in August.
Out of the official 51 figure, 40 were children, highlighting the infection’s dominance on kids.
The delay in diagnosing the infection and assuming it be to dengue or viral fever also resulted in many of the deaths as multiple medical officers were suspended due to negligence. Over 350 people were found to be suffering from the infection after blood samples were finally taken in the first week of September.
