Govt. in touch with experts to find out cause of deaths in Scrub Typhus cases: Health Commissioner

In view of the State reporting nine suspected deaths from Scrub Typhus disease in 2025, the government has directed all Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDL) in Andhra Pradesh to facilitate prompt testing and confirmation, said Health and Family Welfare Commissioner G. Veerapandian.

Addressing the media in Mangalagiri on Monday, the Commissioner said that the government was also in touch with experts, from both government and private sectors in the State, and World Health Organisation to conduct a research and find out the cause of deaths in the nine cases, where the individuals had tested positive for Scrub Typhus and whether or not they died solely because of it.

There were no deaths reported in people with the disease last year, and therefore the government has decided to take up the research, the Commissioner added.

Experts from the genome labs in Siddhartha Medical College, Government General Hospital-Guntur, AIIMS-Mangalagiri, CMC-Vellore and a private lab in Bengaluru will help the government in conducting research and genome sequencing to find out if Scrub Typhus caused the deaths, said Mr. Veerapandian. He added that blood samples were sent to these centres and it would take at least three months for the final reports to come.

The government has also formed Rapid Response Teams, comprising three specialists, in every district to conduct epidemiological investigation of the cases. He added that the department was also mapping all hotspots to enhance surveillance.

While it is a common post-monsoon disease, the Commissioner has advised people to see a doctor immediately if they develop a fever. “In many cases where deaths were reported, people came to the hospital in the last hour. It is best to visit a hospital at the earliest,” he said, adding that all health workers were being asked to take up surveillance of people falling in high-risk category.

At present, the State has reported 1,566 cases till date, the Commissioner said. In 2025, Karnataka reported 1,870 cases, Tamil Nadu 7,308 and Telangana 309.

Guntur GGH Superintendent Yesaswi Ramana, who was also present in the meeting, said Guntur reported 26 cases in the past 38 days, and three of them were in the ICU.

Director of Public Health K. Padmavathi, Director of Medical Education Raghunathan and others were present in the press meet.