The Health Bureau (SSM) said in a statement yesterday that a Filipino landscape gardener has been diagnosed with Tsutsugamushi Disease (aka scrub typhus), becoming Macau’s eighth suspected case of the disease this year.
According to the statement, the 35-year-old male non-resident worker (NRW) noticed pain in his left testicle on August 29 and came down with a fever on September 2. The statement noted that he sought treatment at the emergency department of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre last Friday, where a bean-sized eschar was found on his left scrotum.
After staying for observation and treatment at the hospital, the patient was discharged on Monday, the statement added.
The statement pointed out that the victim worked on the hillside near Estrada do Altinho de Ka Ho in July and August, during which he was working in the grassland.
The patient was quoted by the statement as saying that he had no recent history of travelling outside Macau, adding that neither his roommates nor his colleagues had developed similar symptoms.
The statement noted that the symptoms of scrub typhus include fever, headache, muscle pain and skin rash, characterised by a penetrating ulcerative eschar at the site of a chigger bite.
According to the statement, anyone who engages in outdoor activities in Macau’s country parks and other public parks should always ensure that they have taken the necessary precautions, such as wearing long sleeves.
