At least 48 people have died and 5,317 others affected due to scrub typhus since the first case was detected in Mizoram in 2012.
State nodal officer of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, Dr Pachuau Lalmalswama, said the mite-borne disease has claimed at least 5 people this year.
He said 252 scrub typhus cases were reported in 2012 and 16 people died of the disease.
From 2012 till November this year, 5,317 cases of scrub typhus were reported and 48 people lost their lives due to the disease, he said.
According to Lalmalswama, the highest number of scrub typhus cases – 2,287 – was reported in 2018 and at least 8 people died in that year.
He said at least 2,034 cases of scrub typhus were reported between January and November this year.
Three persons from the Serchhip district and two others from Aizawl district were killed due to the disease this year.
Fresh cases of scrub typhus were reported at Cheural village in south Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district last week after 101 people were diagnosed with the disease during free medical tests.
Two people have died in the village in November.
Lalmalsawma said a team of medical experts has been sent to the village to take stock of the situation.
He said the government has been making massive efforts in the form of public awareness and free medical camp to prevent and control the disease.
