A 34-year-old woman died on September 13 of scrub typhus, a bacterial infection, in Maharashtra's Gondia district, a senior health official said.

Scrub typhus is a disease caused by the bite of chiggers, a minute arachnid, found in paddy fields and overgrown grass patches, the official said. Seema Yeshwant Dhurwe, a resident of Thadezhari in Sadak Arjuni tehsil here, was admitted to a private hospital Tuesday after she complained of headache and high fever, said District Contagious Disease Control Officer Dr Bhumesh Patle.

"After her condition deteriorated, she was put on ventilator support on Wednesday and died Thursday," Patle said. He said that district health authorities were carrying out awareness campaigns about scrub typhus and had asked people to go to the fields or venture outside wearing full-sleeved clothes.

"In case of high fever, body aches and itchy skin, people should immediately consult a doctor. Scrub typhus can be treated if diagnosed early," the medical official said. He said that doxycycline, an antibiotic for the ailment, is being stocked by all primary health centres in the district. The official informed that, since August 26, three patients have been diagnosed with scrub typhus in Gondia.