JOIN USSporadic cases of chikungunya and dengue were reported in DJ Halli and surrounding areas in the City. In July, there were also cases of children falling prey to the Dengue Shock Syndrome.
In addition to this, hundreds thronged clinics and public health centres between March and September complaining of severe joint pain, joint swelling and high fever. Although many patients tested negative for Chikungunya, doctors termed it as an unknown self-curing viral fever. "While the symptoms indicated chikungunya, the blood samples tested negative. We still do not know what kind of viral infection it was," said Dr Yusuff Khan, a local physician in DJ Halli.
Public initiative
However, Dr L T Gayatri, BBMP's Chief Health Officer said that adequate measures have been taken with source reduction measures having been carried out at mosquito breeding grounds. "We can only tell people to keep their surroundings clean and to cover fresh water storage. There must be some initiative from the public too," she said.
BBMP areas alone recorded 709 chikungunya and 288 dengue cases as per the reports from Nimhans lab, NIV and PHI Laboratories. There were 3,052 chikungunya cases, 1768 dengue cases in which 15 deaths were recorded. There were also 75 deaths due to Gastroenteritis, nine deaths due to leptospirosis, 8 deaths claimed by viral hepatitis, 5 by acute encephalitis and one death due to cholera. A total of 124 deaths occurred due to communicable and viral vector-borne diseases.