Andhra Reports 1,566 Scrub Typhus Cases In 2025, Special Task Force Ordered

Around 1,566 confirmed cases of scrub typhus have been reported in Andhra Pradesh so far this year, with about 20 deaths also recorded, according to health officials.

Scrub typhus is caused by a bacterium called Orientia tsutsugamushi. The disease does not spread from person to person, but is transmitted through the bite of infected chigger mites — tiny larval mites commonly found in grass, bushes, fields and areas with dense vegetation. 

Common symptoms include high fever, headache, body ache, rash, and a dark scab (eschar) at the bite site and if not treated early, the infection can lead to serious health problems such as organ failure or pneumonia. Doctors advise that with early diagnosis and proper antibiotics like doxycycline, most patients recover well.

Authorities are currently investigating how many of these deaths were directly caused by scrub typhus, as several have been classified as suspected deaths. The disease has been reported from multiple districts, including Chittoor, Kakinada and Visakhapatnam, among others. Chittoor district alone accounts for one of the highest numbers of confirmed cases in the state.

In response to the situation, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to form a special task force with national medical experts to study and control the spread of Scrub Typhus disease in Andhra Pradesh. The task force will help plan actions to protect people and stop the disease from spreading.

Health officials said scrub typhus is a common seasonal fever, and the deaths reported so far remain under verification. Citing data from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP-IHIP) portal, officials noted that Andhra Pradesh has recorded 1,566 confirmed cases in 2025, reflecting a decline compared to previous years.

According to the data, Andhra Pradesh reported 1,689 cases in 2024, which has reduced to 1,566 cases in 2025. Similar declining trends were observed in neighbouring states as well. Karnataka saw a drop from 1,870 cases in 2024 to 1,613 in 2025, Tamil Nadu's cases decreased from 7,308 to 6,925, while Telangana reported a decline from 309 cases in 2024 to 187 in 2025.

Health officials clarified that the increase in detected cases in recent years is largely due to improved surveillance, wider testing and systematic reporting, and does not indicate a rise in transmission.