Despite having the best health care facilities in the country, unexpectedly emerging epidemics pose a challenge to Kerala. Recently, in the Thiruvananthapuram district, two people died due to scrub typhus fever within a few days. The first case of scrub typhus was reported when a Class 10 student died of the disease in Varkala. 38-year -old Subita succumbed to the disease in Parassala on Sunday. The delay in diagnosing the disease led to the death of both. The disease was confirmed only when the condition of the patient worsened. By then it was too late. New developments are a reminder that more testing and monitoring are needed. No fever should be dismissed lightly. The housewife from Parashala was rushed to the Medical College Hospital when her condition did not improve after treatment at two hospitals. She was diagnosed with scrub typhus after undergoing a test there. The disease could have been detected at an early stage if the private hospitals had opted for specialist treatment. The conclusion that it was just a common fever came at a great price.

With the onset of the monsoon season, the number of contagious diseases has increased across the state. The only way to prevent the disease is to maintain maximum hygiene and vigilance. In a situation where the drinking water and even the air we breathe are highly polluted, we have to take maximum care of ourselves. The situation is so bad that even the school lunch given to the little ones isn't completely safe. Vegetables, fish, meats, and condiments all contain more or less toxins. Extensive inspections were carried out at restaurants across the state after two people died after eating shawarma. Authorities have closed down several restaurants that were found to be unhygienic. Many were slapped with fines. However, everything is back to normal after the initial uproar.

Mosquito-borne diseases are found everywhere. Every year, thousands of people are diagnosed with dengue and chikungunya. Disposal and mosquito eradication are still not considered serious issues by the authorities. It is said that preventive work is better than cure. The cause of the outbreak of infectious diseases from time to time is treatment without identifying the real disease.

We had never heard of diseases such as monkeypox, tomato pox, scrub typhus or Shigella. It is only recently that we have come to know that all of these are all around us. The news of the resurgence of Covid in many countries, including India, comes at a time when everyone was feeling relieved that we have somehow been able to put an end to the pandemic. This is a reminder that it is not time to relax and that we must be vigilant and cautious. Scrub typhus deaths are calling for the fact that hospitals in the state should be more prepared to deal with new epidemics.