Two die as scrub typhus spreads in Salyan

Two deaths from scrub typhus in Salyan, Nepal, have sparked alarm as infections rise and local health facilities struggle with a shortage of testing kits. A third person died with similar symptoms, fueling fears of a broader outbreak in Darma Rural Municipality.

Residents report an increase in daily positive cases, with four to five people testing positive each day. The lack of testing kits at local health posts forces many to seek care at private clinics or travel to distant cities like Nepalgunj. This situation places a significant financial burden on poorer families, some of whom resort to borrowing money for treatment.

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We are becoming afraid because the same problem we saw last year is happening again.

The situation is exacerbated by the delayed operationalization of a planned 15-bed hospital in the rural municipality. In response to the growing crisis, the municipality is coordinating with the District Health Office, Salyan, to launch a health camp. This initiative aims to test all patients presenting with fever for scrub typhus and provide necessary treatment. A team of doctors from the District Health Office is expected to assist in this effort.

Health officials are urging residents to take precautions, especially while working in fields and forests during the monsoon season, as scrub typhus is transmitted by infected chiggers found in vegetation. The outbreak echoes similar concerns from the previous year, leaving residents fearful of a recurring health crisis.

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When treatment is not available at local health facilities, people have to go to private clinics and, for further treatment, travel as far as Nepalgunj. People who are better off can manage this, but those with little money are being pushed into greater hardship. Some have to borrow from relatives and neighbours just to travel for treatment.