A 58-year-old local male resident who sought treatment at the private Kiang Wu Hospital last Tuesday has been diagnosed with Tsutsugamushi disease (aka scrub typhus), according to a statement by the Health Bureau (SSM) on Friday.

It’s the eighth case of scrub typhus reported in Macau this year.

The statement said that the patient is a retiree who developed a fever and suffered from systemic bone pain in late July, adding that his symptoms recurred even after taking medication, so he went to the hospital for treatment last Tuesday when he still had a fever. The man’s condition improved after treatment, the statement underlined.

During a medical check, the statement noted, a scab was found under the patient’s right clavicle (collarbone).

According to the statement, the man told the Health Bureau that he had gone hiking on Ilha Verde Hill every day before he came down with the symptoms, where he had walked through grassland, adding that those living with him had not developed similar symptoms.

The bureau urged the public to take precautions when engaging in outdoor activities, including wearing long sleeves, using insect repellent with DEET and avoiding entering grasslands. They should also take showers and change all clothing after leaving susceptible areas where they could be easily infected with the disease. The bureau also urged people showing symptoms of the disease to see a doctor as soon as possible.

According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, scrub typhus is caused by a bacteria called Orientia tsutsugamushi through the bite of infected chiggers (aka larval mites).