The ticks haven't gone, and now the scrub typhus insects come to make trouble. The other day, a 66-year-old woman surnamed Fan in Foshan died of the disease caused by scrub typhus insect bites. In June this year, another female patient in the locality also died of being bitten. A series of "bug killing people" events have made many citizens feel uneasy.
Yesterday, after interviewing several experts from the Disease Control Center and hospitals, the reporter learned that scrub typhus is actually not uncommon in Guangdong. It can generally be treated with special drugs if discovered early. There has been no death case in Guangzhou in the past five years, so citizens don't need to panic. But the experts also reminded that June to October is the peak period for the incidence of scrub typhus. Many patients with scrub typhus confuse their symptoms with common colds and fevers. They think they will be fine after taking some medicine, which results in delaying treatment and finally developing into serious illness.
Written by this edition's reporter Zhou Wen, Li Nannan, correspondent Li Xue, Wen Zhiqin, Peng Wenbin, Xu Jian
Foshan grandma passed away after nearly two weeks in hospital
According to the announcement of the First People's Hospital of Foshan, on September 2, the hospital received a 66-year-old female patient who was sick due to a scrub typhus insect bite. Because her condition worsened, the patient passed away on the 15th. It was reported that in June this year, the hospital also received a female patient with the same disease, who eventually also passed away.
The First People's Hospital of Foshan said that Ms. Fan developed an inexplicable high fever on August 27, with a fever above 39 degrees Celsius, accompanied by coughing. After being treated in a hospital in Sanshui for 6 days without improvement, she had a persistent high fever for 6 days, coughed for 1 day, and became unconscious on September 2. Ms. Fan was then transferred to the emergency department of the First People's Hospital of Foshan.
Director Zhou Lixin of the ICU at the First People's Hospital of Foshan said that the patient lived in a town, in an urban-rural junction area, making it easy to come into contact with the wild and be bitten by mosquitoes and bugs. After clarifying the condition, although the First People's Hospital of Foshan provided targeted treatment, the patient was already in the late stage of scrub typhus, showing multiple organ discomfort symptoms, including damage to the lungs, liver, blood, etc. The most obvious manifestation was very low platelets in the blood, ultimately leading to complications and death.
Know more:
Scrub Typhus
Scrub typhus, also known as jungle spotted fever, is an acute infectious disease transmitted by mites in the larval stage, caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi. This disease was prevalent in areas south of the Yangtze River before the 1980s and expanded to areas north of the Yangtze River in the 1980s. The epidemic has distinct seasonality and regional characteristics, usually starting to appear in cases from May, with the peak from June to August. However, there are also cases throughout the year, and in China, cases occur all year round. The incubation period is 4-20 days, generally 10-14 days, characterized clinically by high fever, toxemia, rash, eschars, and enlarged lymph nodes.
Q: Is scrub typhus common in Guangzhou?
A: Common in grasslands, can be found in public places such as Zhongda lawn and Xiaogang Park lawn
Professor Ye Xiaoguang, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Guangzhou Medical University No. 2 Hospital, said that scrub typhus insects are very common in grasslands and can be found in public places such as Zhongda lawn and Xiaogang Park lawn.
Q: Will all scrub typhus insect bites lead to illness?
A: Only scrub typhus insects carrying Rickettsia pathogens will cause disease
Ye Xiaoguang explained that not all scrub typhus insect bites will lead to illness. Similar to tick bites, only scrub typhus insects carrying Rickettsia pathogens will cause disease. The incubation period for this disease is 4-20 days, generally 10-14 days.
Q: Are there susceptible populations for scrub typhus?
A: More cases among young adults, more men than women
It is understood that humans are generally susceptible to Orientia tsutsugamushi. Farmers, teenagers frequently in contact with grasslands, and laborers engaged in fieldwork are prone to this disease. The younger and stronger individuals tend to have more severe reactions, with more men affected than women.
Q: Are there any scrub typhus cases in Guangzhou?
A: Yes, but not many
Yin Chibiao, president of Guangzhou No. 8 People's Hospital, who previously handled concentrated cases of scrub typhus, told reporters that the hospital could receive scrub typhus cases regularly, but not in large numbers. There has been no concentrated outbreak of scrub typhus so far. According to last year's data, the estimated number of scrub typhus cases this year is around 300.
Guangzhou Medical University No. 2 Hospital received a moderate scrub typhus patient last week. According to Professor Ye Xiaoguang, last week, Guangzhou Medical University No. 2 Hospital received a patient who was bitten by a scrub typhus insect in the grassland. The patient had already shown symptoms such as fever and swollen lymph nodes, easily leading to complications. If not treated promptly, it would result in multi-organ failure. After nearly a week of chloramphenicol treatment, the patient was discharged yesterday.
Q: Is the mortality rate of scrub typhus high?
A: There are special drugs available for treatment, no death cases in Guangzhou in the past five years
Professor Ye Xiaoguang, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Guangzhou Medical University No. 2 Hospital, said that in the late stage of scrub typhus, multiple organ discomfort symptoms appear, affecting the lungs, liver, blood, circulation, etc. The most obvious manifestation is very low platelets in the blood, ultimately leading to complications and death. Therefore, if diagnosis and treatment are not timely, the claim of "scrub typhus leading to death" still holds true.
Deputy Director Yang Zhicong of the Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that the peak incidence of scrub typhus is from June to October. According to the incidence data over the past five years, the annual number of cases does not exceed 500, and there have been no death cases. Experts from the provincial CDC also stated that scrub typhus in Guangdong is basically sporadic, and can generally be treated with special drugs if discovered early. Citizens do not need to worry excessively.
Q: What are the symptoms of scrub typhus?
A: Persistent high fever, eschars appearing on the skin, conjunctival hyperemia, etc.
When a scrub typhus insect bites a person, it releases an enzyme that makes the person numb, so the person won't feel pain during the bite. However, 98% of those bitten will develop eschars, mainly distributed under the armpits, under the breasts, in the groin area, and on the back. Additionally, a typical symptom of scrub typhus is conjunctival hyperemia. Given the recent high incidence of red eye disease, it should be distinguished clearly. "In addition to red eyes, scrub typhus also causes skin redness and swelling, limb paralysis, nausea, and drowsiness."
Q: How to effectively prevent scrub typhus?
A: Eliminate rats frequently, avoid going into grasslands
Director Tan Hongyu of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Guangdong Women and Children's Hospital said: "Summer and autumn are the breeding seasons for rats. Combined with rainy weather, the growth of scrub typhus insects accelerates. Moreover, people wear less clothing in summer, increasing the chances of being bitten." In addition, to prevent scrub typhus, one needs to eliminate rats, pay attention to clothing, and avoid places where rats gather and grasslands. If one needs to go into grasslands, it is best to spray repellents all over the body.