During monsoon season, the number of death owing to epidemic Scrub Typhus increased to five as a Septuagenarian patients,who was struggling from the fever, succumbed on 13th August night in Indra Gandhi Medical College Hospital in Shimla, senior medical officer said on 14th August.

Senior Medical Officer of IGMC, Dr Janak Raj confirmed that 73-year-old Jawala Dass belonged to Shodha Bini area of Thunag of Mandi district died on the intervening night of Aug 13 and 14 in the hospital who was admitted on July 31, 2019. Due to his death, toll to ST rose to five in the state as three people died in Shimla and two in Mandi district.

On August 14, out of 20 samples screened at IGMC two patient identified as 40-year- old Neelam resident of Bhajal of Sunni of Mandi district and 32-year-old Vinta Devi of Sirmaur district were declared positive for ST. Similarly on Aug 13 out of total sample eight found positive, rising number of ST positive cases to 284 in the state during this rainy season.

In Bilaspur , 96 were found positive, Hamirpur- 62, Kangra 45, Mandi 34, Shimla 18, Solan 17, Chamba six, Sirmaur four Kullu, Kinnaur and Una one each. Health Department tested about 3496 samples for ST.