Chikungunya continues to spread

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Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...a-continues-to-spread/articleshow/4823962.cms

Chikungunya continues to spread
TNN 27 July 2009, 05:41am IST

MARGAO: Fresh cases of suspected chikungunya pouring in over the last few days have been referred to Cacora primary health centre at Quepem, indicating that the viral infection has been spreading rapidly despite efforts by the directorate of health services (DHS) to control the outbreak.

"Altogether eight patients have been admitted to this PHC. All have been kept in the observation ward so as to prevent the viral infection from spreading to other patients," Dr Ganapati Kakodkar, health officer at Cacora PHC, told TOI on Sunday.

TOI learns that some cases of suspected chikungunya were also treated by private medical practitioners from Curchorem, giving rise to the possibility of the infection having spread to other areas, too.

Moreover, the private medical practitioner from Colomb Dr Avdhut Prabhudesai who first stumbled on the fever, is learnt to have treated several cases on Sunday complaining of typical chikungunya symptoms.

"Among the patients I examined on Sunday was a 9-month old baby from Colomb and she has been referred to the Cacora PHC. The child's father had also been suffering from similar symptoms earlier. Besides, one more patient showed up from Rivona today complaining of fever and rash, thus suggesting that the infection is spreading to other areas too," Dr Prabhudesai told TOI.

 

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Re: Chikungunya continues to spread

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4827681.cms

16 more persons test positive for chikungunya
TNN 28 July 2009, 02:56am IST

QUEPEM: Quepem health centre officials held an emergency meeting with the public at Rivona on Monday in the panchayat hall even as blood samples
of 16 patients from nearby Muskavrem village tested positive for the dreaded disease chikungunya.

Sources at the centre said that out of 36 blood samples, 16 were confirmed cases of chikungunya and that blood samples of another 45 suspected cases were taken on Monday for testing.

Meanwhile, private doctors practicing in Quepem said that they too examined patients suspected to be suffering from chikungunya. Dr Umesh Netravalkar said that there is an outbreak of chikungunya and informed that patients showing symptoms of the fever had approached him for treatment. He said that patients are given medicines to reduce pain and that there is no medicine to treat the disease.

Another physician Dr Arun Sakav said that he examined three suspected cases of chikungunya and expressed the fear that more persons could be infected by it.

 

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Re: Chikungunya continues to spread

Source: http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?a=jh3oOnchiab&title=Over_100_miners_have_chikungunya_Goa_minister

IANS
Over 100 miners have chikungunya: Goa minister
2009-07-29 14:50:00

More than 100 mine workers in the South Goa district have been infected with chikungunya, Health Minister Vishawajeet Rane said in the state assembly Wednesday.

Rane was speaking in response to a calling attention motion moved by Sanguem legislator Vasudev Gaonkar, who claimed that a chikungunya outbreak was spreading towards the town from the rural areas of Quepem and Sanguem, around 60 km from here.

'The trend that is evolving is that mining workers are affected by chikungunya. More than 100 blood samples have been drawn and have been diagnosed as chikungunya. The outbreak is similar to the one which occurred in Candolim last year,' Rane said, adding that the disease first made its appearance in the mining belt of Quepem and Sanguem in January this year.

'The directorate of health services is monitoring the situation. Additional staff has also been deployed and health surveys in the areas have been completed. The patients affected have been identified,' Rane said.

Chikungunya is a virus which is transmitted to humans by virus-carrying Aedes mosquitoes.

 

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Re: Chikungunya continues to spread

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...to-combat-chikungunya/articleshow/4846718.cms

S Goa administration gears up to combat chikungunya
Rajeshree Nagarsekar, TNN 2 August 2009, 04:40am IST

MARGAO: Even as the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) admitted on Saturday that the chikungunya situation has reached epidemic proportions in
few areas of Sanguem and Quepem talukas, the South Goa district administration took further steps to combat the dreaded disease. The district administration officials also sought help from the panchayats of the affected villages.

South Goa collector G P Naik informed that three teams comprising health officials of Quepem, Sanguem and Kakora have already initiated measures to fight the disease with the assistance of the district administration.

"The members have already started collecting blood slides of the affected people from their door-steps and rendering treatment. Besides, anti-larval measures have also been initiated in the affected areas," Naik said. He further disclosed that the operation will continue for 10 days, and within a period of 15-20 days the situation should be under control.

"Clinical manifestations of chikungunya resemble those of dengue fever, and are characterized by severe joint pains like in arthritis, coupled with fever and rash. Therefore, widespread occurrence of the fever, which is not life threatening but causes substantial morbidity and economic loss, has to be controlled by adopting measures of minimizing infection on a war-footing," explained a health officer.

Health workers informed that the teams have also undertaken the task of cleaning the chikungunya-prone areas and creating awareness among the villagers on the importance of sanitation.

DHS officials stated that out of the 116 slides collected by the DHS, 45 samples have tested positive for chikungunya. The samples were collected from the affected people from Colomb and Rivona of Sanguem taluka and Mascavrem and Pirla of Quepem taluka. In Cacora, out of the 28 persons undergoing treatment, 15 persons were discharged, informed officials.

On Saturday, fresh cases of the fever were reported in Kajurem, Vijundrem and some other remote areas of the Sanguem taluka.

A panchayat official told TOI that 11 people from the villages of Kajurem, Vijundrem, Sulcorna and Kevan complained of symptoms similar to those of the chikungunya and sought medical help.

While pointing out that there is no vaccine available to combat the disease, Dr Geeta Kakodkar said that "educating the patient and other members in the household about the risk of transmission and the ways to minimize the risk by reducing vector population, besides minimizing contacts with patients, is of vital importance".

Meanwhile, a major health camp with the help of health officials attached to the DHS, as well as medical practitioners working for mining companies, will be held at Colomba on August 15, informed sources.

 

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Re: Chikungunya continues to spread

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...kes-Siolim-1-tests-ve/articleshow/4865288.cms

Chikungunya strikes Siolim, 1 tests +ve
TNN 7 August 2009, 04:30am IST

PANAJI: One case of chikungunya was detected at Gaunsavaddo, Siolim, on Thursday, taking the total number of cases in the state to
94.

Private practitioners in Siolim said that there are three more suspected chikungunya cases in the village.

Dr Deepak Kabadi from the health services said that their officials would restart house-to-house awareness campaigns requesting people to take precautions. He also said that health authorities would start cleaning up the village and carry out thermal fogging.

Of the 35 cases of chikungunya detected this year, 29 were confirmed in May. Last month, around 45 cases of chikungunya were detected in Sanguem.

 

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Re: Chikungunya continues to spread

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...n-the-rise-in-Colomba/articleshow/4861478.cms

Chikungunya cases on the rise in Colomba
TNN 6 August 2009, 03:51am IST

MARGAO: The time is nearing 2pm on Wednesday. In the sleepy village of Colomba, that was first hit by chikungunya, scores of patients -- most of
them with rash clearly visible on their pale faces -- patiently wait for their turn to be examined at Dr Avdhut Prabhudesai's clinic.

"This is a clear indication of the fact that chikungunya cases are on the rise and are spreading to other parts too. I am now seeing around 10 patients each day, who complain of typical chikungunya symptoms, and most of them are from Kevona, Rivona, while a few are from Cajur and Sulcornem," Dr Prabhudesai told TOI.

Dr Prabhudesai was treating, on an average, 4-5 patients a day when the outbreak was first reported by TOI, weeks ago.

Significantly, inadequate staff at the disposal of the local health centres to carry out the cleanliness drive has apparently crippled the exercise. A visit by TOI to the affected areas on Wednesday revealed that only a couple of workers attached to the Kevona sub-centre were engaged in the drive, with a multipurpose worker fogging the areas and an auxiliary nurse assisting him in the exercise.

Surprisingly, the task of sanitizing the entire stretch from Tilamol to Mushcaverem a distance of over 17 km seems to have been entrusted to a two-member team. A vehicle has also been provided by a mining company.

"Though the staff of local health centres is trying its best to cover the vast area, the difficult terrain and inadequate staff poses a problem," a Colomba villager said. It may be noted that OPD facilities have been provided at the Kevona sub-centre every day in the evenings, ever since the outbreak hit the remote areas of Sanguem.

Dr Prabhudesai, too, appeared not too pleased with the response of the DHS to the endemic disease. "It appears that the ministers are working only for their respective constituencies and not for Goa as a whole. Had this outbreak occurred in the constituencies represented by the chief minister or the health minister, the kind of response from the authorities would have been better," Dr Prabhudesai remarked.

Chief medical officer, non communicable diseases, Dr Ravindra Nadkarni, when questioned over the efficacy of the cleanliness drive and the rise in chikungunya cases, vowed to review the situation in the affected areas soon. "I will personally go to the areas on Thursday and monitor the situation," Dr Nadkarni told TOI.

 

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Re: Chikungunya continues to spread

Source: http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?a=ji2lOcdibbh&title=Over_140_affected_by_chikungunya_in_Goa

India update IANS
Over 140 affected by chikungunya in Goa
2009-08-28 11:50:00
Last Updated: 2009-08-28 12:35:19

Panaji: As many as 143 people are suffering from chikunguya in Goa with more than one person testing positive for the disease every day in the last one month, officials said on Friday.

'Out of the 347 suspected cases, we have 143 confirmed instances of chikungunya in Goa,' Deepak Kabadi, deputy director of the state health services, said. The outbreak had first started amongst the mining workers in the rural mining belt of Quepem-Sanguem located in southeast Goa some months back.

Kabadi said that the Quepem sub district alone had seen 61 cases in a short span of time. 'We are taking every possible precaution to ensure that chikungunya does not spread further. Special teams have been dispatched to the area to monitor and take proactive action,' Kabadi said.

Health department officials said the state directorate of health services had already dispatched additional staff to the chikungunya affected areas and other precautionary measures were being taken. Chikungunya is a virus that is transmitted to humans by the virus-carrying Aedes mosquito

 

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Re: Chikungunya continues to spread

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-by-chikungunya-scare/articleshow/5012073.cms

Loutolim gripped by chikungunya scare
TNN 15 September 2009, 05:07am IST

MARGAO: Even as the 10 persons tested positive for chikungunya at Loutolim last week are undergoing treatment, the primary health centre (PHC) has sent blood samples of another 20 suspected cases to the Goa Medical College (GMC).

Confirming the same, health officer Socorro Quadros told TOI on Monday that test reports of the samples are awaited. Briefing the situation Quadros narrated that several people complaining of fever and joint pain were referred to the PHC by private physicians last week.

"All of these patients were from Carvota where some excavation work has been undertaken for laying underground electricity cables," he said.

An entomological survey conducted by the PHC soon after the fever was reported, revealed the breeding of aedes mosquitoes in the affected area, told officials.

Assuring that the situation is now under control, Quadros said, "The PHC immediately carried out clinical and epidemiological examinations of suspected cases and collected clinical samples which confirmed 10 positive cases."

Apprehensive of the spread of the disease, a group of villagers on Friday undertook a drive against migrant laborers in the village. "There is a high concentration of migrants in the wards of Carvota and Devotte as laborers involved in the work of laying underground electricity cables have put up temporary shelters here. Villagers drove away some of the laborers and warned the contractor to assure hygienic condition is maintained at the accommodation sites," a village panchayat official told TOI on Monday.

Meanwhile, the PHC has undertaken an intensive anti-larvae and fogging drive throughout the village. "The village panchayat is assisting us with the drive after the local MLA and power minister Alexio Sequiera intervened. All breeding sites have been cleared and an intensive drive to issue health cards has also commenced. Blood samples of migrants have also been collected," informed Quadros.

However the cabling work which was suspended for a couple of days commenced on Monday. "The contractor had been instructed to evict workers from the affected area and also been issued health cards. Work on the project is in progress," assistant engineer Santosh Lolienkar attached to the electricity department told TOI on Monday.

 

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Re: Chikungunya continues to spread

Source: http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=27412&cid=2


Chikungunya virus mild, say officials
HERALD REPORTER

PANJIM, SEPT 15
Health officials said the chikungunya virus that has struck this year causing a major outbreak in Quepem and minor ones in Siolim, Candolim and Canacona was milder than the one experienced in 2006.
They said in 2006, many patients from Chimbel, Sada (Vasco), Moti Dongor (Margao) and a few other places had to be in hospitals for two to three months with swellings in joints. Some of the patients developed bending posture because of pain in the chest, they mentioned.
In 2006, the country was in the grip of chikungunya fever. Eleven positive cases were discovered in Chimbel after the Defence Research Development Establishment, Gwalior, tested 21 samples.
In that year a total number of 13,903,22 suspected cases were reported from all over the country.
The officials said virulence was more in 2006 and comparatively in 2009, symptoms of the disease have been on the milder side in the State.
Chikungunya starts suddenly with fever, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, joint pain and rash.

4 dengue cases detected
Out of the 20 samples sent to the Microbiology Department for testing for dengue, four came positive. The four cases are isolated and spread across Panjim (1), Santa Cruz (2) and Aldona (1).
So far, since January 2009 a total of 756 samples were tested for dengue out of which 49 tested positive for the disease.