At least four people have died of scrub typhus in Kailali district in the last four months. The disease claimed two lives in the district last year, according to data provided by the District Public Health Office (DPHO).

The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division records showed that of 675 people infected with the scrub typhus, 14 have died across the country in the past four months. The death toll from the disease last year across the country was 8. At least 101 people were found to have been infected with the disease last year.

In Kailali, at least 113 cases of scrub typhus have been reported in the last four months. Last year 58 people were diagnosed with the disease, according to the DPHO).

The disease has also claimed lives in Chitwan, Sankhuwasabha, Tanahun and Bhojpur among other districts this year.

People in Kailali said that the concerned authorities have failed to realise the urgency to curb the disease despite increase in number of scrubby typhus cases of late.

Hari Prasad Bhatta, a vector control supervisor at the DPHO, said that the disease has been spreading in epidemic proportion.

Yashodha Dhakal, medical ward in charge of Seti Zonal Hospital in Dhangadhi, admitted that the number people infected with scrub typhus has been on the rise. “Most of the people who visit hospital with the symptoms of scrub typhus have been diagnosed with the disease,” said Dhakal.

Dr Shubhesraj Kayastha said most of the patients admitted to the hospital have fever, headache and measles-like rash in the neck region, the main symptoms of scrub typhus.

The disease is transmitted to humans and rodents by some species of trombiculid mites (‘chiggers’, Leptotrom-bidium deliense and others).

Humans acquire the disease from the bite of an infected chigger. The bite of the mite leaves a characteristic black eschar that is useful to the doctor for making the diagnosis.

Scrub typhus is an acute, febrile, infectious illness that is caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, and if untreated, it could lead to death.