Delhi Hospitals Report Two Cases Of Scrub Typhus Among Kids

If the fever due to scrub typhus is not managed in time, then it can even cause a child to die, say experts.

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New Delhi: After cases of dengue and mysterious fever started spreading across the country, two hospitals in the national capital have reported cases of bacterial infection scrub typhus among children. One of the patients has been treated at the Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya while the other child got the treatment at Aakash Healthcare, Dwarka, according to news agency PTI.

The patient ast at the Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya who got admitted has been treated through oral medication.

At Aakash Healthcare, the child aged around six was treated for scrub typhus, according to Dr Meena J, consultant, Dept of Paediatrics, Akash Healthcare.

The child was diagnosed with fever for two weeks and detected with scrub typhus after a blood test. However, the infection wasn’t severe and the child was discharged after treatment through oral medication, he said.

The symptoms of scrub typhus are similar to that of dengue, informed Dr Manish Mannan, Head of Department, Paediatrics and Neonatology, Paras Hospitals, Gurugram.It can be fatal if the fever is not controlled.

"If the fever is not managed in time, then it can even cause a child to die. The mortality rate is one to 50 per cent. It is transmitted by mites," he said.

According to experts, the symptoms of scrub typhus start showing after the the mite bite.

According to Dr Vineeta Singh Tandon, consultant, internal medicine, the PSRI Hospital, the symptoms of scrub typhus usually start showing within seven to 10 days of the mite bite. They manifest as fever, body ache, headache, abdomen pain and vomiting.

In some cases, breathing discomfort, altered sensorium, confusion and severe cough may also be seen, she said.