Aizawl 30 Nov 2013: Doctors are not being able to identify the disease-causing tick in a number of scrub typhus patients in Champai district bordeing Myanmar. At least seven people, including children, from the area are suffering from high fever and are being treated at the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Khawbung village of the district for the past few days.
The medical officer of the health centre, Vanlalrengpuia, said the patients were suffering from continuous high fever and, in some cases, delirium. "The cause of the fever has been identified as scrub typhus, caused by bites by ticks in forests," he said. The high fever, accompanied with severe headache, is making it difficult for the patients to eat, he said, adding the stings were visible on some of the patients.
A nurse working at the PHC said a large number of scrub typhus patients, mainly villagers working in farms, have been treated in recent months at the centre. The disease has already claimed some lives.
"The difficulty in identifying the disease-causing tick is making it difficult to take preventive measures," a doctor in Aizawl said.
He said many patients, who were earlier suspected to have died of malaria, might actually have fallen prey to scrub typhus.
H Lalrinmawia of Aizawl Hospital and Research Centre recently treated a villager who initially showed malaria-like symptoms but was actually infected with scrub typhus. The villager was from East Lungdar in Serchhip district.
Vanlalrengpuia explained that the disease is easily curable with chloramphenicol.
~ TNN
The medical officer of the health centre, Vanlalrengpuia, said the patients were suffering from continuous high fever and, in some cases, delirium. "The cause of the fever has been identified as scrub typhus, caused by bites by ticks in forests," he said. The high fever, accompanied with severe headache, is making it difficult for the patients to eat, he said, adding the stings were visible on some of the patients.
A nurse working at the PHC said a large number of scrub typhus patients, mainly villagers working in farms, have been treated in recent months at the centre. The disease has already claimed some lives.
"The difficulty in identifying the disease-causing tick is making it difficult to take preventive measures," a doctor in Aizawl said.
He said many patients, who were earlier suspected to have died of malaria, might actually have fallen prey to scrub typhus.
H Lalrinmawia of Aizawl Hospital and Research Centre recently treated a villager who initially showed malaria-like symptoms but was actually infected with scrub typhus. The villager was from East Lungdar in Serchhip district.
Vanlalrengpuia explained that the disease is easily curable with chloramphenicol.
~ TNN