Spurt in chikungunya cases in Delhi

Chikungunya cases are on a rise in the city with health agencies reporting more than 1000 cases in the last 20 days.

Chikungunya cases are on a rise in the city with health agencies reporting more than 1000 cases in the last 20 days.

HT Image

"Our records show only 33 cases of Chikunguya as most hospitals are not reporting such cases.But after talking to doctors and hospitals on a regular basis we can say that more than 1000 cases have been reported in the past 20 days," V K Monga, MCD's Public Health Committee Chairman, said.

Both private and government hospitals are getting a large number of patients who are complaining of acute joint pain.

Patients are reporting to hospitals after high-grade fever.

Chikungunya is spread by the the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The symptoms of chikungunya are almost like dengue -high fever, rashes, drop in platelets - but the distinguishing symptom is acute joint pain.

"Most people are ignorant about the symptoms of chikungunya and do not take it seriously too as there is no fatality in this disease as in the case of dengue. There are no vaccines for the disease and it is treated with painkillers and fluids," Monga said.

According to MCD officials, majority of hospitals treating such patients are not reporting to the MCD.

"All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Safdarjung too come in the list of hospitals that are not reporting to the MCD about the number of Chikungunya cases that are being treated by its physicians symptomatically," he claimed.