Bargarh: At least three persons, including a minor girl, succumbed to scrub typhus, a disease caused by bacteria, in Bargarh district within a week, official sources said Wednesday, adding that three more patients are undergoing treatment.
The deceased were identified as Saroj Pradhan,42, of Bungapali village under Ambabhona block, Sakhi Pradhan, 70, and Sikha Rana, 16, of Padmapur in the district.
This was revealed by the chief district medical officer (CDMO) Nirupama Sarangi while speaking to mediapersons, Wednesday.
The three persons died while undergoing treatment at various private hospitals in this district. She further said that 20 blood samples were taken for examination at the district headquarters hospital (DHH) out of which three were found to be positive for the bacterial disease. All three of them are undergoing treatment at home.
Meanwhile, no scrub typhus patient has been admitted to the DHH yet, the CDMO asserted. Necessary medical kits have been despatched to all sub-health centres, primary health centres and community health centres in the district while ELISA test is being conducted at the district headquarters in Bargarh.
Moreover, awareness programmes are being undertaken in the district while residents are being advised to undergo blood tests if they have any symptoms of the disease or suffer from fever for a prolonged period.
Authorities of all private hospitals in the district have been directed to inform the DHH authorities about any possible scrub typhus patients there.
Notably, over 2,800 cases of scrub typhus were reported from various districts of Odisha last year. The disease had claimed the lives of at least eight people in the state.
Premananda Khamari, OP