India: Chik - Over 150,000 cases confirmed

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http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEH20060426141858&Page=H&Title=Top+Stories&Topic=0
Chikungunya virus outbreak after 32 years
Thursday April 27 2006 00:40 IST
NEW DELHI: Thirty two years after its last outbreak in India, chikungunya is back. A relatively rare viral fever with dengue-like symptoms, chikungunya has been sweeping Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
In the last three months, the official count of the affected has climbed to a staggering 1.5 lakh people and Health officials concede that figures on the ground may be higher.
Caused by an alphavirus spread through bites from the Aedes Aegypti mosquito - the same mosquito behind dengue - chikungunya is not considered fatal. But 77 deaths since 2005 on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion have been linked to chikungunya.
Health officials in Delhi said the last outbreak in the country was reported in 1974. "The virus must have been silent but it has made a comeback," said an official. Chikungunya, which has dengue-like symptoms of very high fever and rash, is highly contagious and disabling. The name itself is Swahili for "that which bends up", a reference to the positions those afflicted are forced to take because of pain in the joints.
In recent months, chikungunya has been striking the Indian Ocean region. Its outbreak has been reported from Mayotte, Mauritius and Seychelles. Countries like France, Germany, Italy, Norway and Switzerland have reported importing cases, courtesy people returning from these islands.
A mixed outbreak of chikungunya with dengue was reported from Andhra Pradesh between December 2005 and February 2006. The virus was isolated by Pune's National Institute of Virology in March but the figures have been rising ever since.
Latest figures show over 30,000 cases in Andhra (Tirupati is the worst hit); over 70,000 in Karnataka (17,000 cases in Gulbarga alone); and, now it has struck Maharashtra with Malegaon, Nashik, Jalgaon reporting many cases.
Health officials said mosquito-control is the only way to fight chikungunya. Health Ministry teams have already been sent to the states and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases is monitoring the situation.
While supportive, palliative medical care with anti-inflammatories and analgesics is available, there is no specific treatment for chikungunya. It is usually self-limiting, disappearing with time.

 

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Re: India: Over 150,000 cases confirmed

Re: India: Over 150,000 cases confirmed

First off there is at least one incorrect figure in this article.

They mention that La Reunion has had only 77 deaths.

This is incorrect and the latest number of deaths is 203.

http://chikungunya.net/evolution/pdf/PointChikRun20060420.pdf

Furthermore there were over 100,000 cases reported in Andrha Pradesh alone back in March. (http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4349&postcount=18)

We must rememeber, in India most people go to private doctors and those private doctors do not report cases to the government. Therefore these numbers are severely deflated.

Most likely it is somewhere over 1 million cases now and it is continuing it's march across India.

 

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Re: India: Chik - Over 150,000 cases confirmed

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=179914
Fever spreads, is it chikungunya?

AMC, Civil Hospital medicos and senior officials to meet tomorrow

Express News Service

Ahmedabad, April 27: A viral fever ? suspected to be chikungunya ? that struck areas in the eastern part of the city last week is now spreading to new areas, said AMC Health Committee Chairman Bhushan Bhatt. A joint meeting of AMC and Civil Hospital doctors and senior officials has been called on Saturday in a bid to contain the spread of the disease.

The worst-hit area remains Soma Kumbhar ni Chali and surrounding slums in Asarwa ward where almost one person in every household is displaying symptoms of the viral fever.

"Even this morning, I came across 28 new cases and in the past 10 days, at least 100 to 150 cases have been reported daily,? said Dr N N Dave. Dr Dave runs his clinic near these slums and claims to have informed the civic authorities first about the viral fever. ?Initially, civic teams had come and surveyed the area, but they failed to turn up thereafter,? he said. He said of late, patients came to him complaining of fever and unbearable pain in joints besides swelling in the legs and low blood pressure for which ?private doctors give them symptomatic treatment while it is for the AMC to control the spread in the city.?

He said that on the first day (last Thursday) itself, over 200 cases were reported from this area. In the Bhikhabhai ni Chali, both Anil Chaure (40), and his 65-year-old mother Purnaben are suffering from chikungunya-like symptoms.

?I am suffering from this problem for one week now and the pain is unbearable for us,? said Anil showing his swollen leg. Same symptoms have been ailing his neighbour Meena Patni for almost a month now. This goes against the AMC claims that the fever and swelling subsides in a week of treatment. Bhanukant Parmar, a resident of nearby Rohidasnagar, said that his daughter and nephew were already hospitalised for treatment. ?The AMC teams come and collect samples from here, whereas they should take samples from their own water tanks containing contaminated water which is the source of mosquitoes carrying the virus,? he said.

Bhatt has admitted that officially 21 cases were reported on Thursday from new areas like Hardasnagar, Viratnagar, Akhunji chawl in Gomtipur, Maniyarwada in Rajpur, Satyamnagar and Balianagar in Amraiwadi.

However, standing committee chairperson Madhuben Patel said, ?There is no need to worry.? About 50 samples have been sent to National Institute of Virology, Pune after the BJ Medical College ruled out the fever to be chikungunya, said Dr S P Kulkarni, AMC Medical Officer (Health). He said from Wednesday on, mobile dispensaries were fanned to affected areas.

 

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Re: India: Chik - Over 150,000 cases confirmed

"...where almost one person in every household is displaying symptoms of the viral fever."

"...I am suffering from this problem for one week now and the pain is unbearable for us,? said Anil showing his swollen leg. Same symptoms have been ailing his neighbour Meena Patni for almost a month now. This goes against the AMC claims that the fever and swelling subsides in a week of treatment..."

Yep. It's Chikungunya alright. And it is doing exactly what a human to human transmissable virus does.

But of course

"There is no need to worry"

 

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Dengue-like chikungunya fever back in India after 32 years

Dengue-like chikungunya fever back in India after 32 years

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/health/article_1158812.php/Dengue-like_chikungunya_fever_back_in_India_after_32_years

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=text vAlign=top colSpan=2></TD></TR><TR><TD class=text vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR><TD class=text_black vAlign=top><TABLE class=table_default2 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=text_black><!-- google_ad_section_start --><TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SCRIPT type=text/javascript><!--google_ad_client = "pub-3708278364070344";google_ad_width = 125;google_ad_height = 125;google_ad_format = "125x125_as";google_ad_type = "text_image";google_ad_channel ="7049660208";google_color_border = "FFFFFF";google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";google_color_link = "000099";google_color_url = "000099";google_color_text = "000000";//--></SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type=text/javascript></SCRIPT> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><SCRIPT language=javascript src="http://www.monstersandcritics.com/javascript/pagebreak.js"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=javascript><!-- var showPageNavTop = 1; var showPageNavBot = 1; var showPageNavAll = 0; var PageMarker = '<!--page--\>'; var PageContent= 'New Delhi - Chikungunya, a viral fever with symptoms similar to dengue, has affected thousands of people in southern India over the past three months, a news report said Friday.
\nA relatively rare viral fever, chikungunya is spread through mosquito bites and is usually not fatal. But 77 deaths in the Indian Ocean island of Reunion have been linked to the disease.
\nChikungunya is sweeping through the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra, the Indian Express newspaper reported citing health officials. More than 150,000 people had contracted the disease in these states over the past three months.
\nIndia\'s commercial hub Bombay is capital of Maharashtra state, while information technology centres Bangalore and Hyderabad are located in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh states respectively.
\nThe last outbreak of chikungunya in India occurred 32 years ago, in 1974. \'The virus must have been silent but has made a comeback,\' said a health official in Delhi.
\nThe word \'chikungunya\' is Swahili for \'that which bends up\' referring to the stooped posture of patients afflicted by severe joint pain accompanying the disease. Chikungunya first occurred in epidemic form in East Africa in 1952-1953.
\nThe disease is accompanied by sudden severe headache, chills, fever, joint and muscle pains. Most patients recover in 3-5 days but a few suffer joint pain for months.
\nAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), besides India, chikungunya cases have been recently reported from the Indian Ocean islands of Reunion, Mayotte, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and the Maldives.
\nSome European countries - France, Germany, Italy, Norway and Switzerland - have reported imported cases in people returning from these islands.
\n
? 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur'; PrintArticle();// --></SCRIPT>New Delhi - Chikungunya, a viral fever with symptoms similar to dengue, has affected thousands of people in southern India over the past three months, a news report said Friday.

A relatively rare viral fever, chikungunya is spread through mosquito bites and is usually not fatal. But 77 deaths in the Indian Ocean island of Reunion have been linked to the disease.

Chikungunya is sweeping through the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra, the Indian Express newspaper reported citing health officials. More than 150,000 people had contracted the disease in these states over the past three months.

India's commercial hub Bombay is capital of Maharashtra state, while information technology centres Bangalore and Hyderabad are located in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh states respectively.

The last outbreak of chikungunya in India occurred 32 years ago, in 1974. 'The virus must have been silent but has made a comeback,' said a health official in Delhi.

The word 'chikungunya' is Swahili for 'that which bends up' referring to the stooped posture of patients afflicted by severe joint pain accompanying the disease. Chikungunya first occurred in epidemic form in East Africa in 1952-1953.

The disease is accompanied by sudden severe headache, chills, fever, joint and muscle pains. Most patients recover in 3-5 days but a few suffer joint pain for months.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), besides India, chikungunya cases have been recently reported from the Indian Ocean islands of Reunion, Mayotte, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and the Maldives.

Some European countries - France, Germany, Italy, Norway and Switzerland - have reported imported cases in people returning from these islands.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></P>

 

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Re: India: Chik - Over 150,000 cases confirmed

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEK20060501033855&Page=K&Title=Southern+News+-+Karnataka&Topic=0
SOUTHERN NEWS - KARNATAKA
1,241 cases of chikungunya detected
Monday May 1 2006 14:00 IST
<SMALL>BIJAPUR: About 1,241 cases of chikungunya disease have been detected in the district, according to a press note issued by the district administration.

A coordination committee meeting of district officials was held here recently and it has been decided to carry out an awareness campaign in the villages in the district.

A press note issued here on Saturday said that 674 cases were reported in Muddebihal taluk, 392 in Sindgi, 91 in Indi, 31 in Basvan Bagewadi and 53 in Bijapur taluks.

The health officials informed the meeting that about 49 blood samples were sent to NIV, Pune and NIV, Bangalore for further analysis.

Four cases of the disease have been confirmed. Surveillance committees have been formed at the taluk and the district levels, the officials said.</SMALL>

 

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Re: India: Chik - Over 150,000 cases confirmed

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEP20060501084240&Page=P&Title=Nation&Topic=168
450 Nagpur residents gripped by mysterious fever
Monday May 1 2006 19:04 IST
<SMALL>ANI</SMALL>
<SMALL>KODHAKI: A mysterious fever, identified as Chicken Gunia, has afflicted about 450 persons in about 17 villages of Nagpur District.

Similar in symptoms to dengue fever, Chicken Gunia leaves individuals complaining of high fever, body ache, joint pains and spells of nausea.

Several patients with symptoms of chicken gunia are undergoing treatment at the Primary Health Centre (PHC).

"I suffered high fever. My body became stiff suddenly. I had severe pain in the joints and I find difficulty in walking. I took medicines but it is not helping me. I am still under treatment," said Ramdas, a patient.

Fahim Akhtar, the medical officer at the Kodhaki Primary Health Centre, said that blood samples of some of the patients have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune to confirm the presence of the disease.

Chicken Gunia is caused by mosquito bites and at present, no vaccine exists to counter it.</SMALL>

 

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Re: India: Chik - Over 150,000 cases confirmed

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=510 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top height=20>http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/may12006/state1939402006430.asp
CHIKUNGUNYA
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=510 height=20>600 hit in Hungund taluk </TD></TR><TR><TD height=5></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top height=20>DH News Service Hungund:
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>A number of Chikungunya cases have been reported from many parts of the taluk, with the total number of people being treated at government hospitals touching 600. Another 300 are being treated in private hospitals, it is said.

According to information available with the Health Department, 12 people have been affected with Chikungunya between April 22 and 29.

The local administration and the Department of Health have taken precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the disease. The first case was reported from Kodihal and then it spread to Kandagalli.

?Maintain hygiene?

A press release issued by Health Department stated that the disease is mainly spread through filthy surroundings and stagnant water.

People should take care to see that the surroundings are kept clean and hygienic, the department has advised. Awareness should be created among the people of Ilkal-Hungund twin cities about the disease.

 

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Re: India: Chik - Over 150,000 cases confirmed

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=467 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=3>[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=180438#[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Chicken guniea hits Pune, 138 cases in Indapur taluka[/FONT]
</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=3 height=10></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=3>[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]3 villages affected, health officials fear it will spread to more talukas[/FONT]</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=3 height=10></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=3>Express News Service</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=3 height=10></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=3>
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Pune, April 30:[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Having swept parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharahstra, chicken guniea ? the relatively rare viral fever with dengue-like symptoms ? has reached Pune with 138 cases being detected from villages of Nimgaon, Ketaki and Bhongwadi in Indapur taluka. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] Zilla Parishad officials told Pune Newsline that it was likely that the disease could infect other areas like Purandar, Mulshi, Haveli and Bhor talukas. Last year, several cases of dengue ? which is also a viral disease transmitted by the same group of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes ? were reported in Indapur, Baramati and Purandar talukas. Hence, officials are not ruling out the spread of chicken guniea in these areas.
[/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Chicken guniea has already infected various parts of Maharashtra including Aurangabad, Latur, Nashik and Akola and Pune is the fresh entrant to the list of affected districts in the State.
Medical experts from National Institute of Virology in Pune said Chicken guniea has come from Kyasanur forest in Karnataka, but it is rarely fatal. Symptoms appear between 4 and 7 days after the patient has been bitten by the infected mosquito ? Aedes Aegypti. A high fever and headache occur, with significant pains in the joints (ankles and wrists) and can persist for several weeks. The main preventive measure is to stop the proliferation of mosquitoes by cleaning up their breeding grounds.
The health officials have already taken preventive measures and have urged the villagers to observe one ??dry?? day by emptying the water from the containers. They have also instructed the villagers not to store water for more than five days as it would help in breeding of these mosquitoes.
In the last three months, the official count of the affected has climbed to a staggering 1.5 lakh people and health officials concede that figures on the ground may be higher. Health officials in Delhi said the last outbreak in the country was reported in 1974. ??The virus must have been silent but it has made a comeback,?? said an official. The name Chicken guniea comes from Swahili and means ??that which bends up?? reflecting the physique of the person suffering from the disease. It occurs principally during the rainy season.

 

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Re: India: Chik - Over 150,000 cases confirmed

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=467 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=3>[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=180560[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]State ropes in students to fight chikungunya[/FONT]
</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=3 height=10></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=3>[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]They will identify breeding grounds at home; govt machinery mobilises awareness campaigns at grassroots[/FONT]</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=3 height=10></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=3>Express News Service</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=3 height=10></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD colSpan=3>
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Pune, May 1:[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]With monsoon just a month away, the State government is taking no chances with chikungunya. It has launched a multi-pronged attack against the viral fever that has infected over 1.5 lakh people in 11 districts of Maharashtra. ??Now, the effort now is to educate school children in villages to identify mosquito-breeding sites in their own homes,?? says Dr P P Doke, director general of health services, Maharashtra. The viral fever has reached Pune with 138 cases being detected from villages of Nimgaon, Ketaki and Bhongwadi in Indapur taluka. Zilla Parishad officials on Sunday said the disease could infect Purandar, Mulshi, Haveli and Bhor talukas.
[/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>While chikungunya, a viral disease transmitted to humans by mosquitoes, has taken people unawares in 571 infected villages of 11 districts in Maharashtra since February-end, health officials are worried about dengue and other viral fevers that strike during the monsoon and post-monsoon. ??We are trying to abort a post-monsoon outbreak,?? Doke told Pune Newsline.
Hence, there has been a stockpiling of drugs and procuring of chemicals to combat the diseases. ??There was not a single case of chikungunya last year. But Maharashtra faced a sizeable number of cases of dengue. The temperature will be conducive for mosquitoes to breed in stagnant rain water that collects in tyres and other containers,?? Doke said, emphasising the urgency to take preventive measures right away.
The machinery is already rolling. The rural development department has been told to purchase fogging machines and anganwadis, gram sevaks and village panchayat workers have been mobilised in the awareness campaign. They have to ensure that each and every container of water is emptied and dried thoroughly, said Doke.
As of now the government has been able to contain the number of cases that were being reported daily from these villages. As many as 4,000 cases of high fever were being reported daily since March. Now, the State has been able to contain it and the figure has now reduced to 965 cases being reported daily. ??For the last ten days, the outbreak has been contained in 283 villages,?? says Doke. ??Reports from the National Institute of Virology (NIV) are awaited for confirmation of the outbreak in Pune district,?? Doke said. However preventive measures have been taken and there have been no cases of fever since April 28, he added.

 

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Re: India: Chik - Over 150,000 cases confirmed

Over 150,000 people in 11 districts of Maharashtra.