CM forms expert task force as Scrub Typhus cases rise

Amaravati: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday ordered the formation of a special task force comprising national and international medical experts to study scrub typhus and recommend measures to eliminate the disease in the State. The direction came during a review of the Health department at the Secretariat, where officials briefed him on the current situation and the medical assistance being provided to affected patients.

Officials informed the Chief Minister that 1,592 scrub typhus cases have been reported so far, including 420 in Chittoor district, but clarified that none of the recent deaths in the state have been clinically attributed to the disease. They said all nine deaths that had raised concern were examined individually and were found to have resulted from other health complications and multi-organ failure. Special medical teams are conducting extensive tests in high-incidence clusters, while awareness campaigns are being taken up in affected regions. Officials also noted that scrub typhus is being reported across several States and that Andhra Pradesh currently ranks eighth, with Tamil Nadu and Odisha recording nearly 7,000 cases each.

The CM instructed that a large-scale public awareness campaign be launched on prevention measures and said the newly constituted expert task force should undertake field visits and submit its recommendations at the earliest. He directed that those recommendations be implemented systematically to prevent scrub typhus in the long term.

During the review, officials reported that seasonal diseases in the State have fallen by 48 per cent over the past year. They said dengue cases declined from 5,555 in 2024 to 2,452 this year, while malaria cases fell from 7,871 to 7,010. Chikungunya cases also dropped sharply from 266 to 142, and Japanese encephalitis cases reduced from 11 to two. Officials attributed the decline to improved sanitation, widespread testing, and sustained awareness initiatives.

The CM said seasonal diseases should be brought down to zero through coordinated efforts across departments. He described unsanitary conditions as the biggest driver of disease outbreaks and stressed the need for constant public awareness along with stricter preventive measures against malaria, dengue, chickenpox and other vector-borne illnesses.

The review was attended by health secretary Saurabh Gaur, medical and family welfare commissioner Veerapandian, NTR Vaidya Seva CEO Dinesh Kumar and APMSIDC chairman Girisha.