Chikungunya is spreading faster than dengue in city

New Delhi: Rajiv and Sangeeta Dhaor developed with high-grade fever within hours of each other on Saturday .

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“Rajiv thought he had a viral infection and I thought I was down because I was exhausted. The fever did go down and soon we developed joint pains,” said Sangeeta, a resident of Indirapuram in Ghaziabad.

Within a day, it became difficult for them to walk around or even stand steady .

“Whenever I stand up, I feel my legs will not bear my weight, there is so much pain,” Sangeeta said.

Based on their clinical symptoms, the doctor on Monday diagnosed them with chikungunya but asked them to come back after six days to confirm the diagnosis with an antibody test.

Rajiv, who works in the pharmacy industry, is still going to work. “The pain is very bad and comes in the way of my daily work. I have to take small steps while walking but still go to office because I have a desk job and I do not want to sit idle at home and think of the pain,” said Rajiv.

Chikungunya has replaced dengue as the most common mosquito-borne disease in Delhi and the NCR. Though the municipal corporations have confirmed only 20 chikungunya cases till August 20, the government-run All India Institute of Medical Sciences confirmed 188, Safdarjung over 40, and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia hospital nine cases.

Experts say the actual numbers are likely to be higher as patients test negative for the first six days of the fever.

“There are two tests to confirm chikungunya. The antibody test is cheaper but can be done only five to six days after the fever sets in. The polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) test is needed for diagnosing the disease at an early stage,” said Dr Ashutosh Biswas, professor of medicine at AIIMS.

“Once the fever subsides, people do not come back for the IgM or antibody test. And, they do not get the PCR test done, especially in private hospitals, because of the cost involved,” he added.