Sambalpur: Farmers in Sambalpur district have been struggling to save their crops from various insects with application of pesticides, but in this process most of them get infected with scrub typhus disease, a report said.
Many patients infected with scrub typhus are now being treated at VIMSAR. According to reports, paddy farming is affected by a number of diseases and insects.
The farmers apply pesticides on paddy in their farmlands at this time. A kind of insect resembling spiders has posed danger to farmers. During application of pesticides, these insects bite farmers.
Due to their bites, farmers are being infected with scrub typhus. Keeping this danger in view, the agriculture department has started an awareness drive on its prevention in the district.
According to experts, these insects are found on green leaves of the paddy. Besides farmers, forest officials and people dependent on forests also face a danger from these insects found in forests too.
If a person is bitten by this insect, its poison goes into the bloodstream of the person. He/she gets down with fever with symptoms of malaria.
The infected persons suffer from fever, stomach pain, headache and urine choking. People are advised to visit doctors immediately if such symptoms are found in them.
It is said that if the level of infection goes up, the affected persons may have high blood pressure, kidney failure and heart attack. It was alleged that many farmers in western Odisha have died of the disease.
A few days ago, a farmer of Tamparasara in Bargarh district died of the disease. Officials of the agriculture department advise farmers to completely cover their bodies as a preventive measure while going to the farmlands.
Prof Lalit Meher, director of VIMSAR, said the disease is more harmful than malaria. “Red rashes develop at the places of the body after this insect bites. Later, it infects other parts of the body,” he added.
Now, many scrub typhus patients are coming to VIMSAR from various parts of Sambalpur. In the last four months, many patients have been treated at VIMSAR, he claimed.
PNN