A 71-year-old local man has become this year’s ninth case of Tsutsugamushi Disease (also known as scrub typhus), according to a statement by the Health Bureau (SSM) yesterday.
The statement noted that the male victim, who developed itching on the right side of his chest last Wednesday, sought treatment at the private Kiang Wu Hospital yesterday due to a persistent fever. The statement added that during a medical examination, the patient was found to have a soybean-sized eschar on the right side of his chest, and he was later diagnosed with scrub typhus.
The statement said that the patient was in stable condition, and had meanwhile left the hospital.
The statement pointed out that the patient usually goes for a walk to Mong Ha Hill where he passes through grassland, and recently has visited Zhongshan city (some 60 kilometres north of Macau) The statement quoted the patient as saying that he had not been to a country park in Zhongshan for activities such as hiking during the incubation period, adding that his family members had not developed similar symptoms.
In the statement, the bureau urged members of the public to take the necessary precautions when engaging in outdoor activities at grasslands.
According to the statement, scrub typhus is an acute infectious disease caused by bites from larval mites or chiggers carrying Rickettsia Tsutsugamushi. Rodents living in grasslands with high temperatures, humidity and weeds are the most common reservoirs of Rickettsia Tsutsugamushi.
Those who suffer from scrub typhus may develop symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain, and rashes, or even show serious complications, such as pneumonia and meningitis which in serious cases can cause respiratory failure and death.
