Beware of fever that causes swollen lymph nodes and can be fatal.

After contracting the virus, patients may experience a sudden high fever of 40-41 degrees Celsius, a rash, lethargy, and may die if heart or lung complications develop or if treatment is delayed.

On May 3rd, Tuyen Quang Provincial General Hospital admitted patient Bui Van S., 57 years old, from Son Duong district, Tuyen Quang province, with a high fever of 39.5 degrees Celsius in intermittent episodes. The patient had a red ulcer in his armpit.

After examination, Dr. Nguyen Van Hung from the Outpatient Department diagnosed the patient with scrub typhus and transferred him to the Infectious Diseases Department for treatment.

The bite mark is near patient S's armpit.

The patient's family reported that seven days ago, Mr. S. suddenly developed a high fever accompanied by a severe headache. They rushed him to the district general hospital for treatment, but his condition did not improve, so they transferred him to a higher-level hospital.

Dr. Hung explained that scrub typhus is an infectious rash caused by the Rickettsia tsuisugamushi virus (commonly known as the mite).

This type of virus usually bites patients in hidden, hard-to-detect areas such as the armpits, chest, groin, and anal cleft. After an incubation period, the virus enters the bloodstream and endothelial cells in blood vessels, proliferating and causing inflammation and congestion at the bite site, along with a rash, swollen lymph nodes, headache, and prolonged high fever, which can reach 40-41 degrees Celsius.

The disease progression varies from mild to severe, causing damage to multiple organs. Severe cases in the early stages will cause peripheral circulatory failure (usually appearing in the first week), while in the later stages there will be proliferative damage and embolism in small capillaries, coma, liver dysfunction... and may be fatal.

In the North, the disease mainly occurs in mountainous provinces with many bushes and dense forests. Those most susceptible to mite bites are farmers, those who cultivate fields, and those who clear land for cultivation.

Scrub typhus typically occurs during the hot, rainy season, from May to October.

This fever is easily misdiagnosed as other diseases such as typhoid, malaria, leptospira, plague, septicemia, dengue fever, etc.

Doctors advise people to wear socks and tight-fitting clothing when going into mountainous or forested areas; avoid drying clothes or placing backpacks in bushes, and do not lie on the grass…

If you experience fever, swollen lymph nodes, or unusual spots on your body, you should go to a medical facility for examination and treatment.

According to Vietnamnet