Death of Anna University student was not due to Dengue, clarifies Public Health Department

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Anna University authorities says they have been allaying fears and have started screening students for scrub typhus as well, along with dengue and leptospirosis. | Photo Credit: B. VELANKANNI RAJ

The cause of death of an Anna University student at the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital (KMCH) on Friday was scrub typhus and not dengue, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine clarified on Saturday. Panic over dengue gripped the campus, with scores of students turning up for blood tests.

The 20-year-old hostel inmate came to the Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital in Guindy on Thursday (September 17, 2026) with four days of high-grade fever and was referred to the KMCH the same day. He died the next day. “Diagnosis: scrub typhus. No dengue diagnosis. It’s a single reported case,” the department posted on X.

The post came after social media and some television channels reported that there had been a dengue outbreak, which had led to three deaths.

The news triggered alarm on campus and students rushed to a primary health centre for tests. A medical officer said that for the past 15 days, around 80 students had turned up in the mornings and around 50 in the evenings with general presentation of fever and cold. The deceased student reported at the health centre with similar symptoms on September 14 and, as per protocol, a complete blood count (CBC) was done on the third day of fever on September 16. The CBC report recorded a count of 1.38 lakh platelets, which ruled out dengue, but the patient did not turn up to collect his report, the doctor added.

“I do not know what happened between then (September 16) and Friday. Besides, ours is only a primary health centre. We carry out blood tests and refer students as soon as they return with any findings,” the doctor said. In the past few weeks, around five cases of dengue have been detected on campus. “The students were referred immediately. They have since recovered and have been discharged,” he added.

Till about midday on Saturday, around 70 students turned up for screening at the health centre as soon as the news of dengue outbreak broke. The university authorities said they had been allaying fears and have started screening students for scrub typhus as well, along with dengue and leptospirosis.

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has set up a special screening camp for hostel inmates, the medical officer informed. In addition, GCC Commissioner G.S. Sameeran inspected intensive sanitation and mosquito-control work being carried out at the Anna University campus in Guindy. A total of 100 workers were engaged in sanitation operations, including the removal of accumulated garbage and waste and the implementation of mosquito-control measures, a press release said.

Dr. Sameeran reviewed the ongoing work and instructed officials to ensure that garden waste and garbage were cleared from the campus, and the premises were kept clean, the release said. He also directed officials to prevent water stagnation to curb mosquito breeding and to carry out mosquito-control fogging operations. Officials were further instructed to continuously monitor students and provide appropriate treatment wherever required, the release added.

According to the release, Dr. Sameeran also instructed officials to undertake similar sanitation measures at all educational institutions across Chennai. He directed officials to conduct regular inspections and monitor the implementation of these measures, the release said.

Anna University Registrar V. Kumaresan, City Health Officer M. Jagadeesan, and other officials were present, the release added.

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