Death from scrub typhus in Shimla

Shimla, August 9

The first death due to scrub typhus has been reported in Shimla city, officials said on Friday. A 91-year-old man from the Panthaghati area died while undergoing treatment for scrub typhus in the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and Hospital here, they added.

Scrub typhus is an infectious illness caused by a mite-borne bacterium. It spreads to people through the bites of infected chiggers (larval mites), leading to rashes, fever, headache, body ache and other problems.

The man was found positive for scrub typhus on August 2 and died on Wednesday last, the officials said.

Till now, 44 cases of scrub typhus had been reported at the IGMC. After one case of scrub typhus was reported in Hamirpur, the district health authorities had advised people to keep their bodies covered while working in fields and visit nearby medical facilities in case of fever. PTI