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Chikungunya hits Kerala; 20,000 ill
Published on Tue, Oct 03, 2006 at 07:40, Updated on Tue, Oct 03, 2006 at 07:51 in India section
Tags: Health, Chikungunya , New Delhi
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New Delhi: The festive season doesn’t seem to have brought much cheer to most parts of the country.
While north India, specifically Delhi and the National Capital Region, is battling a sudden outbreak of the deadly dengue, another mosquito-borne disease Chikungunya is spreading fear in the south India.
In Kerala, 61 people have reportedly died and 20,000 people have been hospitalised since the fever epidemic hit the state.
It's feared that Chikungunya's hit Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram.
“There is an increase in the number of deaths. Eighty per cent of them are in the 60-90 age group. We are investigating the cause of the death,” said District Medical Officer of Alappuzha, Dr N K Velayudan.
Though the doctors here have decided not to jump the gun and are waiting for reports to come in, symptoms of the patients match those of the viral disease.
"I experienced high fever followed by shivering one-and-a-half hours later," said a patient. “I admitted him this morning. He had high fever, his body was aching and his arms and legs were swollen,” said a patient’s mother.
Kerala’s Health Minister P K Sreemathi will tour Alappuzha on Tuesday to make ensure the local health bodies take preventive measures against Chikungunya.
The Minister would also evaluate the treatment facilities arranged for patients at different hospitals.
What is Chikungunya:
- Chikungunya fever is a rare form of viral disease characterised by fever, joint pains and spread by mosquitoes. It is caused by an alphavirus that is spread by mosquito bites from the Aedes aegypti mosquito. - Though Chikungunya was not initially considered fatal, in 2005-2006, 200 deaths have been associated with the disease on Réunion island and a widespread outbreak in especially in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Symptoms: - Chikungunya fever is characterised by high fever (101F-104F), headache, vomiting, malaise, severe joint pains including wrist, knees and ankles. The swollen and painful joints are painful to touch and are characteristic of this disease. - They can last from a few days to few months. After 2-3 days of onset of fever a rash may be noticed over trunk and the limbs. The disease is self limiting and rarely fatal and unlike dengue fever the bleeding manifestation are not common in this disease. - In the present epidemic in Andhra Pradesh, high fever and crippling joint pain is the prevalent complaint. - Fever typically lasts for two days and abruptly comes down, however joint pain, intense headache, insomnia and an extreme degree of prostration lasts for a variable period, usually for about 5 to 7 days. Treatment: - There is no specific treatment for Chikungunya. The illness is usually self-limiting and will resolve with time. - Symptomatic treatment is recommended after excluding other more dangerous diseases. A serological test is recommended. Precautions: - Get rid of any containers storing water such as buckets, old tyres, flower vases, food cans and cover over-head tanks carefully.- Keep covered. Wear full-sleeve clothes and cover the legs, especially at time of work, as it is a day-time mosquito which spreads the disease - Cover all windows with mosquito preventive nets and apply mosquito repellents. - Urge your local health authorities for urgent fogging of your area. Recent cases: - According to WHO, a mixed outbreak of chikungunya, with sporadic cases of dengue has been reported in Andhra Pradesh. Between 1 December 2005 - 17 February 2006, 5671 cases of fever with arthralgia were reported.- High density of Aedes aegypti was observed in the area. From 1-15 March, over 2000 cases of chikungunya have been reported from Malegaon town in Nasik district, Maharashtra. - In Orissa state, India, 4904 cases of fever associated with myalgia and headache have been reported between 27 February - 5 March 2006. These signs are consistent with an arbovirus outbreak. Results of a biological investigation are awaited. |
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