Five die of mite disease in Meghalaya
December 1st, 2011 - 3:24 pm ICT by IANSShillong, Dec 1 (IANS) At least five people have died of of scrub typhus, a disease caused by the bite of an infected mite, in Meghalaya in the past three weeks, an official said here Thursday.
However, a private-run hospital here put the toll at 12.
“Over 40 people were tested positive for the disease and admitted in hospitals and five people died of it,” Meghalaya Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) officer R.R. Lanong told IANS.
“We have verified and found out that five people died - four in H. Gordon Roberts Hospital and one in Nazareth Hospital,” the medical official said.
Smit, Lad Mawreng, Tyrsad, Mawkyrwat, Moodymmai, Sohkymphor, Sutnga, Mawlein, Umsning and Ummat villages — all in eastern Meghalaya — were the most affected, the official said.
Though treatment is available at health centres, due to ignorance, the disease has turned fatal, Lanong said. To avoid this, the health department has launched a vigorous campaign to create awareness among the rural masses.
Medical superintendent of H. Gordon Roberts Hospital, David Tariang, said 12 people have died in his hospital alone due to scrub typhus and 25 are undergoing treatment.
The symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, muscle pain, cough and gastroenteritis — inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines.
- Disease claims two lives in Himachal - Sep 04, 2012
- 21 die of mite disease in Himachal - Oct 08, 2011
- Nine more test positive for scrub typhus in Shimla - Aug 18, 2011
- Infected mite cause 12 deaths in Himachal - Sep 15, 2011
- 44 scrub typhus deaths in Himachal - Mar 31, 2011
- Uranium not responsible for dying fish, says Meghalaya - Apr 20, 2012
- No problem selling diseased buffaloes to public: Lanong - Jun 09, 2010
- Meghalaya dithers on uranium mining - May 24, 2011
- South Asia: Hot spot for cross-border diseases - Aug 14, 2012
- Disinfection in Meghalaya bird flu-hit area completed - Jan 22, 2012
- Meghalaya CM urges coalition partners not to support Sangma - Jul 06, 2012
- Coal exporter abducted in Meghalaya - Dec 17, 2010
- Meghalaya rules out ban on rat-hole mining - Aug 22, 2012
- Meghalaya demands its own high court - Mar 22, 2011
- Meghalaya proposal for synthetic track awaits central okay - Jan 05, 2012
Tags: cough, disease surveillance, fever, gordon roberts, health department, inflammation, intestines, lad, medical superintendent, meghalaya, mite, mucous membrane, muscle pain, scrub typhus, shillong, stomach, surveillance project, ummat, undergoing treatment, vigorous campaign