The Health Bureau (SSM) has announced Macau’s third suspected case of Tsutsugamushi Disease (aka scrub typhus) this year, according to a statement on Friday.
The statement noted that the latest patient is a 51-year-old local woman who started to show symptoms of inflammatory exude on her navel with a swelling seen on the left groin on May 9, after which she went to a public health centre when she came down with a high fever. After treatment, although the symptoms improved, the woman still had a low fever.
The statement pointed out that she was admitted to the public Conde de S. Januário Hospital Centre on May 19 after she started to develop a rash on both her legs and all over her face. A bean-sized eschar was found on her navel, and her liver function was abnormal. The statement added that the patient recovered on Friday.
The statement said that the woman went hiking in Zhuhai’s Banzhangshan Forest Park at the beginning of this month, where she walked through a grassland. She said that her fellow hikers didn’t develop similar symptoms, according to the statement.
The bureau said in the statement that Tsutsugamushi Disease is transmitted by mites that carry Rickettsia tsutsugamushi through bites. The statement noted that the mites that have Rickettsia tsutsugamushi are usually found on rodents that live in grasslands with high temperatures and humid environments.
The statement pointed out that the symptoms of Tsutsugamushi Disease include fever, headache, muscle pain, and rashes. The statement underlined that a painless eschar appears in the place where sufferers are bitten by the mites. Some patients may show serious complications, such as pneumonia and meningitis which in serious cases can cause respiratory failure and death, the statement added. The statement stressed that there is no vaccination, and the only cure is to take antibiotics to treat the disease.
The bureau urged residents to maintain good personal hygiene, such as showering and changing clothes frequently. Meanwhile, residents should shower their pets to remove any fleas and check their bedding regularly. In addition, residents should wear long-sleeved clothing and put on insect repellent with DEET, and avoid entering grasslands when walking or working outdoors. The bureau added that residents should see a doctor immediately if they show symptoms of Tsutsugamushi Disease.
This image shows how scrub typhus spreads to people through infected chiggers, i.e., larval mites. Photo courtesy of The Free Press Journal
