Bhubaneswar: Of 12 blood samples tested for scrub typhus on Monday, 11 tested negative and one was reactive. The reactive sample from Angul district would be sent to ICMR-National Institute of Health Research, Bhubaneswar, sources said.Dr Madan Mohan Pradhan, chief district medical and public health officer, Angul, said no positive case has been detected so far from Sanbagdari village under Pallahara block in Angul district. “We will send one sample, which became reactive during Elisa test, to ICMR-NIHR for further confirmation,” he added.The health and family welfare department on Monday said there is no need for panic or unnecessary concern regarding reported scrub typhus cases in a suspected cluster in Angul district.The department has intensified epidemiological and laboratory surveillance after receiving reports of suspected scrub typhus cases. “The IgM ELISA results of nine samples tested earlier were reported negative on Sunday. Meanwhile, mass screening was conducted in the affected area on the same day and samples were collected,” said an official statement issued by the department on Monday.Dr Rabindra Nath Mishra, director of public health, Odisha, said the department is closely monitoring the situation and has advised continued surveillance and timely testing. The situation is currently being treated as a suspected cluster of scrub typhus, and no confirmed conclusion will be drawn until the confirmatory laboratory results are received, he added.Mishra requested the public to maintain a clean and hygienic environment and avoid areas with dense vegetation, bushes and overgrown grass. He appealed to people to wear full-length clothing, including full-sleeved shirts and long trousers, while going outside, use covered footwear to minimise skin exposure, keep their surroundings clean and avoid sitting or lying directly on grass or soil.After getting information about seven scrub typhus cases detected through rapid test kits from Sanbagdari village, Pradhan said blood samples were again collected from seven persons for Elisa tests, and the results came negative on Saturday.