After dengue, SAS Nagar battles chikungunya with 13 cases in a day
Even as the district is battling increasing number of dengue cases, chikungunya — another mosquito-borne disease — has emerged as a new public health crisis with 13 new cases confirmed on Friday. The number of cases is now at 24, more than double of 11 cases on record till Thursday night.
Even as the district is battling increasing number of dengue cases, chikungunya — another mosquito-borne disease — has emerged as a new public health crisis with 13 new cases confirmed on Friday. The number of cases is now at 24, more than double of 11 cases on record till Thursday night.
On Friday, 23 samples were tested, of which 10 tested positive from SAS Nagar town, one from Kharar and two from villages in the vicinity.
The outbreak of this disease — which has fever and joint pain as its main symptoms — assumes added significance as there was no case reported in the district last year.
In fact, the first case of the disease was reported from Ferozepur in 2010 and then, too, the patient had travelled to Delhi and received treatment there only.
“From none last year, we have 24 cases of chikungunya reported in SAS Nagar this year. The state has reported 179 cases this year,” said Dr Gagandeep Singh Grover, nodal officer, Punjab’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme.
“Dengue and chikungunya are caused by the same type of mosquito. The symptoms are similar, but in chikungunya, a patient can’t walk for long due to joint pain,” said Ranjit Guru, SAS Nagar civil surgeon.
“Usually, when we can’t detect dengue, we suggest test for chikungunya. The tests and treatment are free in government hospitals in the district,” she added.
32 FRESH DENGUE CASES REPORTED
Thirty-two fresh cases were reported from SAS Nagar on Friday taking the total to 1,217. Eight of these were from SAS Nagar and Kharar; five from Zirakpur; one from Dera Bassi, three from Nayagaon and seven from nearby villages.