Chikungunya cases on the rise in state

The dangerous dengue may have disappeared post-rain, but another viral fever had taken its place in the state, and is spreading rapidly.

The outbreak of Chikungunya is so alarming that the state has recorded nearly half of the total cases of the infection in the country.

With the ceasing of rain and the sudden plunge in temperatures, Chikungunya has infected 30,600 people in the state in December, while the numbers were 20,000 the previous month. The virus has affected 60,200 people across the country.

"We've been seeing four to five cases a day. They come with severe forms of arthritis," said Dr Pankaj Singhai, senior consultant, internal medicine, Manipal Hospital, adding that there are also patients with muscle inflammation.

Dr Singhai said an increase in Chikungunya cases post-rain has become a trend each year. He said  rampant garbage dumping in the city provides the ideal breeding ground for the virus.

"Vector-borne diseases have subsided in the state," said Dr Prakash Kumar, deputy director, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme.

"We've been seeing four to five cases a day. They come with severe forms of arthritis," said Dr Pankaj Singhai, senior consultant, internal medicine, Manipal Hospital, adding that there are also patients with muscle inflammation.

Dr Singhai said an increase in chikungunya cases post-rain has become a trend each year. He said rampant garbage dumping in the city provides the ideal breeding ground for the virus.

"Vector-borne diseases have subsided in the state," said Dr Prakash Kumar, deputy director, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme. "We're getting ready to fight the diseases in the coming years by deploying ASHA workers to inform people and have health workers across the state."

Dr Kumar said people should be cautious about storing water and make sure they do not create breeding grounds for the dengue virus.

"Southern states have reported maximum dengue cases this year, thanks to increased surveillance and better reporting, including by private hospitals," he said.

Higher rainfall quotient in the south has increased the burden of the disease in the region more than the north, Dr Kumar pointed out.

Fluctuating temperature, doctors say, has also been providing an ideal condition for chikungunya to spread in the state.