SCRUB TYPHUS SPARKS ALARM

ANDHRA Pradesh is experiencing an unusual surge in scrub typhus this season, with more than 174 confirmed cases, and Visakhapatnam alone has reported over 130 infections.

- DARSHITA JAIN

Eight lives have already been lost, pushing doctors and health officials to stress prevention and immunity. Though not new to India, the disease, caused by a bacterium spread by tiny mites in grassy areas, is increasingly worrying rural and semi-urban communities.

Scrub typhus often begins like many seasonal illnesses, with fever, headache and body aches, which is why people tend to delay medical care. Explaining why this infection can turn serious, Dr K Subba Reddy, regional director critical care at Apollo Hospitals, says, “Once inside the body, the organism attacks the lining of small blood vessels, leading to widespread inflammation. This process, called vasculitis, disrupts blood flow to vital organs. In mild cases, it causes fever and body pain. However, in severe cases, unchecked inflammation leads to multi-organ dysfunction, especially when diagnosis or treatment is delayed.”