Jaipur: Sawai Man Singh hospital logs more scrub typhus cases than dengue

Jaipur: More cases of scrub typhus are being reported in comparison to dengue at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital. Scrub typhus, which is not a mosquito-borne disease like dengue, but bite of tiny chigger is causing the disease. It was first reported in Alwar more than a decade ago causing deaths of patients in large numbers. At that time the health department had termed it as a ‘mysterious disease’ before National Institute of Virology Pune had confirmed it as cases of scrub typhus.

The disease has now spread to other districts and Jaipur is also reporting cases of scrub typhus.

According to SMS Hospital figures, from September 1 to September 20, the number of patients diagnosed with scrub typhus were 195 which were much higher than 149 cases of dengue reported at the hospital. The cause of worry is that it is even more fatal than dengue as 15 persons have already died of scrub typhus while three persons have died of dengue in the same period in September.

Scrub typhus is causing a lot of complication among the patients if they are not provided with the treatment on time after timely diagnosis of the disease. “We have four patients of scrub typhus, who are undergoing treatment at ICUs. The scrub typhus has badly affected their lungs. Just like pneumonia in swine flu, Covid, atypical viral pneumonia, we found bilateral pneumonia in scrub typhus cases, and they require treatment on non-invasion ventilator in ICUs,” said Dr Ajit Singh, superintendent, RUHS hospital.

Dr Singh said that in current scenario, it is difficult to diagnose swine flu, atypical viral pneumonia, Covid and scrub typhus as in all the cases patients develop pneumonia and their lungs get badly involved, if not treated on time. The health department officials said that they have already directed the doctors to remain alert on seasonal diseases including scrub typhus.