A 59-year-old female local resident was confirmed as this year’s first imported case of Tsutsugamushi Disease (aka scrub typhus), the Health Bureau (SSM) announced in a statement yesterday.
The statement noted that the woman went to the mainland for outdoor activities on July 19 and 26, during which she walked through a wooded area. The victim developed symptoms including a fever and headache on August 3, seeing a doctor at the private Kiang Wu Hospital the following day and on August 6 for treatment.
Since the symptoms persisted, the patient returned to the hospital on August 9 when she was hospitalised. A physical exam conducted the following day revealed a soybean sized eschar on her chest, according to the statement, after which she was diagnosed with scrub typhus based on her symptoms.
The statement said that the patient has meanwhile recovered after receiving treatment and was discharged yesterday. Her family members and fellow travellers did not show similar symptoms and did not take part in outdoor activities.
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 even death.
The bureau urged members of the public to take the necessary precautions when engaging in outdoor activities in grasslands.
Image courtesy of NEXTIAS
