ROURKELA: Amid the fight to contain dengue spread in Sundargarh, the rise in number of scrub typhus cases has become a concern for the district health administration. Newly-appointed chief district medical officer (CDMO) Dr. Dharanidhar Satpathy said of the 69 samples that were tested, 13 were found to be positive for scrub typhus on Wednesday. So far, the district has reported 263 scrub typhus cases. Similarly, the district reported 322 dengue cases till Tuesday. The administration is taking necessary steps to contain the spread of the two diseases.
Sources in the Health department said out of 162 samples tested at Ispat General Hospital (IGH) on Wednesday, 19 came positive for dengue. Of the 322 dengue-positive cases reported till Tuesday, 130 were detected in the captive township of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), 54 from Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) limits and 14 from areas of the South Eastern Railway (SER). The rest 124 dengue cases were reported from different parts of the district.
An official said scrub typhus cases have begun to show an upward trend in the district from August. The administration has intensified awareness campaigns to educate the vulnerable population about the disease. Doctors of all government health institutions have also been educated on scrub typhus symptoms and treatment. There are adequate medicines and beds to treat patients.