Snowy Owl
Retired in 2010, In Memoriam
Chikungunya virus affects lakhs of people across India
http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2006/september/06/india_news/chikungunya_virus_affects_lakhs_of_people_across_india.html
http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2006/september/06/india_news/chikungunya_virus_affects_lakhs_of_people_across_india.html
New Delhi, Sept 6 (IRNA)
Chikungunya, a viral disease spread through mosquitoes, has resurfaced after 32 long years, affecting lakhs of people across India.
But because it is not usually fatal, it has not received the kind of national attention it deserved.
Seven states have been badly affected by the virus, which is transmitted by the bite of the Ades Agypti mosquito that also causes dengue.
Andhra Pradesh has reported 76,000 suspected cases so far, and Madhya Pradesh so far has 40,000 cases, but a central team is on its way since fresh cases were reported in the eastern parts, an NDTV report said here.
Moreover, Gujarat, which has never had the disease in the past, has seen over 25,000 cases of Chikungunya this time.
However, among the worst hit states is Maharashtra, where nearly three lakh cases have been reported. The first confirmed case of Chikungunya in Maharashtra this year was in Balamtakali village in the Ahmednagar district.
But within a few days, cases were reported from other districts as far apart as Nashik and Parbhani.
But this is not Maharashtra's first tryst with this mysterious disease, as the first time Chikungunya struck Maharashtra was in 1965 in Nagpur.
This time also in places like Goradh village in Nagpur district, Chikungunya has spared no household with every family is struggling with their sick.
Karnataka is the worst hit states and while no deaths have occurred, at least seven lakh people were affected since December.
Many people say that the authorities did not do enough well in time to control the spread of the disease.
It was only after several districts reported the disease that the authorities woke up.
Health ministers of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra met in Bangalore in the last week of July to work out a joint strategy to combat the disease.
But by then, it was too late as the disease had crossed the borders.
Over 65,000 people across Tamil Nadu are affected by Chikungunya over the past few weeks.
Vector borne disease experts say that such epidemics are emerging because of changing lifestyles.
"Water scarcity makes people store water. Migration and ecological factors are leading to these epidemics. Also immunity in the population is low so they are more susceptible to the disease," said PL Joshi. Director, National Vector borne disease control program.
Chikungunya, a viral disease spread through mosquitoes, has resurfaced after 32 long years, affecting lakhs of people across India.
But because it is not usually fatal, it has not received the kind of national attention it deserved.
Seven states have been badly affected by the virus, which is transmitted by the bite of the Ades Agypti mosquito that also causes dengue.
Andhra Pradesh has reported 76,000 suspected cases so far, and Madhya Pradesh so far has 40,000 cases, but a central team is on its way since fresh cases were reported in the eastern parts, an NDTV report said here.
Moreover, Gujarat, which has never had the disease in the past, has seen over 25,000 cases of Chikungunya this time.
However, among the worst hit states is Maharashtra, where nearly three lakh cases have been reported. The first confirmed case of Chikungunya in Maharashtra this year was in Balamtakali village in the Ahmednagar district.
But within a few days, cases were reported from other districts as far apart as Nashik and Parbhani.
But this is not Maharashtra's first tryst with this mysterious disease, as the first time Chikungunya struck Maharashtra was in 1965 in Nagpur.
This time also in places like Goradh village in Nagpur district, Chikungunya has spared no household with every family is struggling with their sick.
Karnataka is the worst hit states and while no deaths have occurred, at least seven lakh people were affected since December.
Many people say that the authorities did not do enough well in time to control the spread of the disease.
It was only after several districts reported the disease that the authorities woke up.
Health ministers of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra met in Bangalore in the last week of July to work out a joint strategy to combat the disease.
But by then, it was too late as the disease had crossed the borders.
Over 65,000 people across Tamil Nadu are affected by Chikungunya over the past few weeks.
Vector borne disease experts say that such epidemics are emerging because of changing lifestyles.
"Water scarcity makes people store water. Migration and ecological factors are leading to these epidemics. Also immunity in the population is low so they are more susceptible to the disease," said PL Joshi. Director, National Vector borne disease control program.