Re: India: Chikungunya Outbreaks In Sullia & Puttur
Source:
http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=80066
Chikungunya rampant in Sullia - NIM to study
By Team Mangalorean, Mangalore/Bangalore
Photographs: Rajesh Shetty
MANGALORE, June 4, 2008:
The spread of Chikungunya has attained epidemical proportions. Never in the history of this taluk that such large numbers have been reported. According to the health department about 2,200 cases have been confirmed till Tuesday (3 June 2008) while another 1200 cases have been sent for sampling.
In a review meeting chaired by the Deputy Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao on Monday the health department officials have confirmed that over 4000 persons have been affected by this infection and more are being tested. The Sullia health centre is stated to be getting not less than 300-350 affected persons every day and each one of them complaining the symptoms of Chikungunya.
MLA of Sullia S.Angara on Tuesday who toured the affected areas told a group of presspersons that though the infection was not fatal, but it does induce excruciating pain and discomfort to the patients. Chikungunya is a black spot on the modern health system and should be quickly controlled. Mr. Angara who was in Bangalore on Tuesday night to attend the first session of the newly elected state Legislative Assembly told Mangalorean.com that he would bring the condition to the notice of the health secretary and seek his help in the matter. He would also have a talk with the director of the National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR).
While in Mangalore the district administration is making efforts to stop the spread of the infection to other taluks namely Puttur, Belthangady and Bantwal Taluks where isolated cases have been reported, the Mangalore taluk health officials have reported that there was no case registered in Mangalore Taluk.
The cases of Chikungunya in Sullia Taluk appears to have localized in Panja and Kadaba PHC limits as most of the cases have been reported from these two places.
The Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an airborne virus carried by the Mosquitoes known as Aedes Aegypti the virus is known as Alphavirus, that is transmitted to humans infected vector. According to experts in the National Institute of Malaria Research in Bangalore the symptoms of Chikungunya is similar to that of Dengue and Malaria. The infection manifests itself with a prolonged arthralgic disease that affects the joints of the extremities. The acute febrile phase of the illness lasts only two to five days. The pain associated with the infection of the joints persists for weeks or months. The incubation period of Chikungunya disease is from two to four days.
Symptoms of the disease include a fever up to 39C a petechial or maculopapular rash of the trunk and occasionally the limbs, and arthralgia or arthritis affecting multiple joints. Other non-specific symptoms can include headache, conjunctival injection, and slight photophobia. Typically, the fever lasts for two days and then ends abruptly. However, other symptoms, namely joint pain, intense headache, insomnia and an extreme degree of prostration last for a variable period; usually for about 5 to 7 days. Patients have complained of joint pains for much longer time periods depending on their age.
The experts in alternative medicines have rushed to Sullia. Homoeopathic and Ayurvedic system of medicine was being used treat the patients. In fact some of the patients have reported that they have found relief in alternative medicine forms. Teams of doctors and students from Father Muller's Homoeopathic College, K.V.J Ayurvedic College, Karnataka Ayurvedic College have been striving to treat patients in Sullia and Puttur taluks.
The Aedis aegypti mosquitoes breed in dirty stagnated water, unlike the malaria causing Anapholes, the Aedis aegypti is a day biter. Only heavy rains can induce mass destruction of breeding grounds of this type of mosquitoes say the experts in the NIMH. The district has already motivated the people in Sullia to take manual destruction of all breeding grounds in their neighbourhood by clearing water clogged areas.
Fogging will only chase the mosquitoes from one place to another and is stated to be most ineffective method of control of mosquitoes and waste of material and man hours. The biological control of mosquitoes was the best suited in conditions such as the one in Sullia. According to the director of NIMH S.K. Ghosh they should be prevented from breeding by destroying them at the larvae stage. Once they attain wings, they could be killed only manually by using various techniques including the common swatting with electric racket.
