Bhubaneswar, Sept 9: The Odisha government is closely monitoring the situation regarding scrub typhus across the State and has so far found no confirmed cases of the disease, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Mukesh Mahaling said on Wednesday.

Addressing mediapersons, Mahaling assured the public that there was no need to panic, stating that the Health and Family Welfare Department has strengthened surveillance and monitoring mechanisms to prevent the spread of the infection.

The Minister said the department has already issued detailed guidelines covering the prevention, surveillance and management of scrub typhus. All healthcare institutions have been instructed to follow the prescribed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and remain alert to suspected cases.

“So far, we have not confirmed any case of scrub typhus in the State. The ELISA test results of suspected cases have also returned negative. There is no need for people to panic,” Mahaling said.

Referring to a suspected case reported from Palalahada in Anugola district, the Minister said the patient’s ELISA test was negative, indicating that the case was not confirmed as scrub typhus.

He added that district health authorities have been directed to maintain heightened vigilance, ensure timely testing and strictly implement the government guidelines. The department is continuing surveillance to facilitate early detection and prompt medical intervention if any suspected infection emerges.

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