West Bengal opens 44 sentinel labs for Scrub Typhus

Kolkata: The state health department has activated 44 sentinel labs for conducting scrub typhus tests in response to the increase in the number of cases in the state.

Scrub typhus cases are spreading rapidly across the state due to the monsoon season, and the number is expected to increase in the coming days. 

In response to the rising cases, the state health department has activated 44 government hospital sentinel labs for conducting tests in the state and has already begun the process of procuring IGM kits to diagnose the disease. More than 10 children have been hospitalized as they tested positive for the disease.

Typhus is a disease caused by a bacterial infection. The specific bacteria belong to a group called Rickettsia. The disease spreads through the bites of minute insects like fleas, mites, lice, etc. In the case of scrub typhus also known as bush typhus, the infection transmits through small larval mites (chiggers).

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In extreme cases, the most common symptoms of scrub typhus include fever, headache, body aches, rashes, and even meningitis and encephalitis.

A Swasthya Bhawan official told TOI "These 44 labs will conduct confirmatory tests for scrub typhus. This is one of the measures the department is taking for control and effective management of scrub typhus cases." Scrub typhus cases last till October.

Institute of Child Health, Associate Professor Prabhas Prasun Giri said "We have got about 15 scrub typhus cases in the past four weeks. Among them, three children required treatment in the PICU. One of the children was from Jodhpur Park, who had a travel history to a district. Even as the majority of the cases are from rural places, about 10% to 15% of cases we get yearly are from the city. Scrub typhus occurs in adults as well. But it is mostly children, who need hospital care because their immunity is yet to be fully developed to fight the infection. Some children need intensive care treatment."

Paediatrics professor Mihir Sarkar of Medical College and Hospital said "Early detection is key to treating the disease successfully as it can lead to serious disease in some children. In severe cases, it can affect multiple organs, such as the brain, lungs, heart, kidney and pancreas, causing multi-organ dysfunction. While the dry black spot which is the bite mark area, known as eschar, can be visible in about 20% of cases, the rest need to be confirmed with a test."

Also Read: Himachal Pradesh: Death toll of Scrub Typhus mounts to 7