Fifty-three new cases of scrub typhus have been reported in Chitwan, pushing the number of patients to 104 in the last four months. 

Paras Adhikari, the administration chief of Chitwan Medical College, said most of the patients who were diagnosed in recent weeks were from Chitwan district, three among them were admitted in critical state.

District Public Health Officer Madhusudhan Koirala said they have started an awareness programme to control the infection of scrub typhus. 

Scrub typhus is transmitted to humans and rodents by some species of trombiculid mites (‘chiggers’, Leptotrombidium deliense and others). Humans acquire the disease from the bite of an infected chigger. The bite of the mite leaves a characteristic black eschar.

The disease’s symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain and cough.

Inmates suffering from viral fever

GULARIYA: Many inmates in Bardiya District Prison have are suffering from viral fever for the past four days. According to the prison officials, more than half of the 257 inmates are suffering from high fever, headache and body ache. A medical team has been called to treat the sick inmates, but the crowded facility has increased the risk of spread. According to the District Public Office, around 10,000 viral fever cases were reported in the district in the past one month.