Mathura in western Uttar Pradesh have reported cases of a mystery fever, which has been identified as scrub typhus reported by Hindustan Times. The disease has affected more than two dozen people in the district. The medical teams took samples from people in Koh village of Mathura district after reports of infection from the area. These samples were later found to be infected with scrub typhus, according to Livehindustan report. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), scrub typhus is a disease caused by a bacteria called Orientia tsutsugamushi. It is also known as bush typhus. The infection spreads to people through bites of infected chiggers (larval mites).
The symptoms of scrub typhus are similar to symptoms of many other vector-borne or rickettsial diseases and usually begin within 10 days of being bitten, according to CDC. These include fever and chills, headache, body aches, rashes and muscle pain.
The site where the chigger bites develops a dark, scab-like region, which is also known as eschar. After contracting the infection, a person can experience mental changes, ranging from confusion to coma, according to CDC.
