Kerala woman dies due to scrub typhus, second death in state

Mangalore Today News Network

Thiruvananthapuram, June 13, 2022: A second person has passed away due to scrub typhus disease in Kerala. A 39-year-old woman, Sabitha, died in Parassal, Thiruvananthapuram district. She had been suffering from the disease for the past 15 days and passed away on the morning of Sunday, June 12. This comes just days after Ashwathi, a 15-year-old girl, died in Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram district due to Scrub Typhus as well, known as ’chellu pani’ in local parlance. She was awaiting the results of her Class 10 board examination when she contracted the disease and passed away. A native of Cherunniyoor, a hamlet located over 40 kms away from Thiruvananthapuram, the girl died at a hospital last evening, they said.

 

Following the death, Health Minister Veena George directed a special medical team to visit her native place and the hospital where she was admitted immediately. The village officer in Cherunniyoor has already visited the place and collected primary details in this regard, the Minister said in a statement. "A special team, led by the district medical officer will visit the areas in Cherunniyoor and Parippally Medical College," she said, adding that steps would be taken to strengthen guard in the area and destroy the ticks.

However, even after the state health department took precautions, the second death has increased the worries of the health workers and the department.

Scrub Typhus is an infectious disease caused by the Orientia tsutsugamushi, a mite-borne bacterium. Chigger mites, the larval stage of mites, transmit the disease from animals like rats, squirrels, rabbits and so on to humans.

Veena George said that the state health department is monitoring the situation. Over 20 cases of scrub typhus  had been reported in the Thiruvananthapuram corporation area between January and April this year.

Courtesy : The News Minute