Bhubaneswar, Sep 10: Health authorities in Anugola district on Thursday dismissed reports claiming that three people had died of scrub typhus in Palalahada over the past fortnight, stating that only one case of the infection has so far been confirmed through the prescribed diagnostic test.

Anugola Chief District Medical and Public Health Officer (CDM&PHO) Dr Madan Mohan Pradhan termed the reports of three scrub typhus deaths “completely false” and appealed to people not to panic over unverified information.

Reports had claimed that three persons from Palalahada, including Usha Nayak of Rajadang village, Jamuna Nayak of Rajadaga and Sumanta Sethy of Sanabagadari, had died after allegedly testing positive for scrub typhus.

Dr Pradhan clarified that only one case has been confirmed in Palalahada and the patient has fully recovered. He said a scrub typhus infection can be officially confirmed only through an ELISA test. Rapid test results from private hospitals and clinics are not accepted by the government as definitive confirmation.

The CDM&PHO said the three deceased persons had underlying conditions, including hypertension, diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Therefore, it cannot be concluded that scrub typhus caused their deaths without proper diagnostic confirmation.

Health teams are being deployed whenever suspected cases are reported. Private healthcare facilities will also be advised to send samples to the District Headquarters Hospital for ELISA testing.

Dr Pradhan warned that strict action would be taken against facilities declaring scrub typhus cases positive without proper confirmation and causing public panic.

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