Bhubaneswar: The health and family welfare department has intensified surveillance in Angul district after reports of suspected scrub typhus cases from Sanbagdari village under Pallahara block, even as confirmatory tests of all suspected patients returned negative.Chief district medical and public health officer Dr Madan Mohan Pradhan, accompanied by a medical team, visited the village on Sunday to assess the situation and review preventive measures. Pallahara MLA Ashok Mohanty also visited the village on Sunday.According to health officials, seven villagers were initially found positive through rapid diagnostic test kits, prompting the administration to collect fresh blood samples for Elisa testing, considered a more reliable method for confirmation. “We had taken blood samples of nine people, including seven suspects, on Saturday. On Sunday, their test results came negative. We have taken 12 more samples for Elisa test on Sunday. Reports of these samples will come on Monday,” Pradhan said.The development comes amid concerns over the death of 30-year-old Sumanta Sethi of the same village. Pradhan said Sethi had initially tested negative for scrub typhus and underwent treatment at hospitals in Deogarh and Sambalpur. Later, a private laboratory reported him as scrub typhus positive, though he was also suffering from other health complications. “We can say it is a suspected death case of scrub typhus. It is not officially confirmed yet,” he added.A senior health department official said the state is closely monitoring the situation but stressed that there is no cause for alarm. The department plans to strengthen awareness campaigns and encourage people to seek medical attention at the earliest if symptoms develop after exposure to mite-infested areas.Health experts said scrub typhus is more common in rural areas where people frequently work in fields, forests and scrub-covered areas. Farmers and others spending long hours outdoors face a higher risk of exposure to infected chigger mites. To reduce the risk, doctors advised wearing full-sleeved shirts, long trousers and other protective clothing while working outdoors.“Early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics can help prevent complications and speed up recovery,” said the expert.Pradhan urged people not to ignore symptoms and to seek medical attention immediately after a suspected mite or tick bite. “People should not neglect approaching a doctor in scrub typhus cases. If they are bitten by any infected mite or tick, they should visit a hospital and seek medical help. A person can be cured after receiving proper treatment,” he added.Dr Jayant Kumar Panda, a professor of general medicine at SCB Medical College and Hospital Cuttack, said symptoms usually appear within 5-14 days of an infected but painless bite. Fever, headache, body aches and rashes are common symptoms, while severe cases may lead to pneumonia, meningitis and kidney complications, he added.Odisha recorded over 2,800 cases and eight deaths in 2023 and more than 1,600 cases with two deaths in 2024.