Scrub typhus infection has been confirmed in 51 people in Darma Rural Municipality of Salyan. A health examination of 128 people from two wards of the rural municipality confirmed scrub typhus infection in 51 people.

The rural municipality had organized a health check-up camp after four women died due to high fever and the number of patients in the village increased in the past two weeks. The rural municipality will also conduct health check-up camps in other wards on Tuesday.

The rural municipality has urged patients with symptoms not to panic and to come to the camp for health check-up. After the increase in fever patients, the Health Service Office Salyan, Darma Rural Municipality and Gen-G Group jointly conducted the camp in Ward No. 3 and 5 on Sunday and Monday.

While 67 people were tested in Ward No. 3, 23 and 61 in Ward No. 5, 28 were confirmed to be infected with scrub typhus. One of the confirmed infections has been referred to the district hospital for further treatment.

Rural municipality chairman Neem Bahadur KC said that preparations are underway to test all suspected patients after many people were confirmed to be infected with scrub typhus. According to him, regular health checks will be conducted from Darmakot, Dhakadam and Valchaur health posts from Tuesday.

As the tests have been completed in two wards, health department chief Yagya Bahadur Basnet said that arrangements have been made for health tests for locals in four more wards at three health posts. He said that there are more than 600 patients across the municipality.

‘Since scrub typhus has become an epidemic, we have not only conducted health tests at the health posts but also created a group of health workers to save the lives of the residents of the municipality. We go to the affected areas and spread awareness about how to avoid the disease,’ he said. ‘We go to schools to warn children not to be affected by the disease.’