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Suspected scrub typhus kills 3 women in Andhra; health dept steps up surveillance
An official statement said chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday took stock of the situation and directed health department officials to launch statewide awareness on scrub typhus
Hyderabad: At least three women died of suspected scrub typhus, a bacterial infection that has been on the rise in different parts of Andhra Pradesh over the last few days, health department officials said.
Two women reportedly died and another person was hospitalised with symptoms of scrub typhus in Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu district on Wednesday, a day after a 45-year-old woman from Mettapalli village in Vizianagaram district, Chandaka Rajeshwari, also reportedly died.
“The deceased were identified as Jyothi (20), a resident of Rudravaram in Muppalla mandal (block), and Nagamma (62), from RR Centre in Rajupalem,” an official from the state health department, requesting anonymity, said on Wednesday.
Scrub typhus is caused by the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi, transmitted through infected chigger mite bites. Symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, and sometimes a rash. Severe cases can lead to respiratory distress, brain or lung inflammation, kidney failure, multi-organ failure, and death.
Authorities are currently monitoring the situation in the affected areas.
An official statement said chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday took stock of the situation and directed health department officials to launch statewide awareness on scrub typhus following the death of a woman in Vizianagaram district.
“The chief minister directed officials to ensure immediate medical attention for suspected cases and take measures to prevent similar incidents,” the statement added.
According to officials, Rajeshwari had contracted scrub typhus after being bitten by infected chigger mites. She was initially treated for typhoid before a rapid test confirmed the bacterial infection.
The medical and health department is preparing treatment facilities and conducting awareness drives to prevent further cases across the state, an official said.
“If not treated properly on time, the infection can lead to severe complications, including acute respiratory distress syndrome, hepatitis, and acute kidney injury,” the official added.
State health minister Y. Satyakumar Yadav conducted a review and appealed to people not to panic. “It is one among several common fevers, similar to malaria and dengue. It can be diagnosed through blood tests when fever persists for more than three days,” he said.
He said scrub typhus cases typically surge during the monsoon. “Andhra Pradesh recorded 579 cases in 2023 and 803 cases in 2024. As on November 30 this year, 736 cases have already been registered,” he added.
Districts reporting cases include Kakinada, Chittoor, Visakhapatnam, Kadapa, Nellore, Kurnool, Vizianagaram, Guntur, Tirupati, Srikakulam, Anakapalli, Anantapur, Annamayya, Eluru, Krishna, Nandyal, and NTR district, with case numbers ranging from one to 149.
