Port Blair under grip of Chikungunya

Chikungunya has acquired an epidemic proportion in and around Port Blair.

The Andaman and Nicobar administration is taking urgent steps to fight Chikungunya, a disease which has acquired an epidemic proportion in and around Port Blair, a top administrative official said on Monday.

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Directorate of Health Services N Sadasivam said the contagious viral disease was caused by mosquito bite and also spreads by breath droplets of patients.

Dr Sadasivam said an extensive drive had been launched to control and prevent mosquito breeding. Fogging operation has been undertken at various places in the town. More areas will be covered in the second round, he added.

Ten thousand mosquito repellant tubes have been distributed and the panchayati raj institutions are being roped in to fight against the mosquito menance on a war footing.

He rejected as baseless, the allegation levelled by the South Andaman Zonal Committee of CPI (M) that there was a shortage of good quality medicines and doctors at G B Pant Hospital here to combat the disease.