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Health
Scrub Typhus Cases Surge Across India, Health Officials Warn
✍️ Bhaskar English
🗓 21 Sep 2026, 08:10 AM
👁 16
Health authorities report a noticeable rise in scrub typhus infections nationwide, urging public awareness of transmission, symptoms and preventive measures.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has observed a steady increase in reported scrub typhus cases across several states, marking the disease as a growing public‑health concern.
Scrub typhus is caused by the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi, transmitted to humans through the bite of infected chigger mites that thrive in scrub vegetation and grassy areas.
Early symptoms typically include fever, headache, body aches, and a characteristic eschar at the bite site, but the disease can progress to severe complications if not treated promptly with appropriate antibiotics.
Officials advise the public to avoid walking barefoot in endemic zones, use insect repellent, wear protective clothing, and seek medical attention promptly if fever persists after a mite bite.
The health ministry is strengthening surveillance and urging clinicians to consider scrub typhus in febrile patients, especially during the monsoon season when mite activity peaks.
Scrub typhus is caused by the bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi, transmitted to humans through the bite of infected chigger mites that thrive in scrub vegetation and grassy areas.
Early symptoms typically include fever, headache, body aches, and a characteristic eschar at the bite site, but the disease can progress to severe complications if not treated promptly with appropriate antibiotics.
Officials advise the public to avoid walking barefoot in endemic zones, use insect repellent, wear protective clothing, and seek medical attention promptly if fever persists after a mite bite.
The health ministry is strengthening surveillance and urging clinicians to consider scrub typhus in febrile patients, especially during the monsoon season when mite activity peaks.