Hey all…

A disease has been spreading its wings all over India the last month…. Read about it, and understand…

What is Chikungunya:

Aedes Aygepti

-
Chikungunya fever is a rare form of viral disease characterised by
fever, joint pains and spread by mosquitoes. It is caused by an
alphavirus that is spread by mosquito bites from the Aedes aegypti
mosquito.

- Though Chikungunya was not initially
considered fatal, in 2005-2006, 200 deaths have been associated with
the disease on Réunion island and a widespread outbreak in especially
in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Symptoms:

-
Chikungunya fever is characterised by high fever (101F-104F), headache,
vomiting, malaise, severe joint pains including wrist, knees and
ankles. The swollen and painful joints are painful to touch and are
characteristic of this disease.

- They can last from a
few days to few months. After 2-3 days of onset of fever a rash may be
noticed over trunk and the limbs. The disease is self limiting and
rarely fatal and unlike dengue fever the bleeding manifestation are not
common in this disease.

- In the present epidemic in Andhra Pradesh, high fever and crippling joint pain is the prevalent complaint.

-
Fever typically lasts for two days and abruptly comes down, however
joint pain, intense headache, insomnia and an extreme degree of
prostration lasts for a variable period, usually for about 5 to 7 days.

Treatment:

- There is no specific treatment for Chikungunya. The illness is usually self-limiting and will resolve with time.

- Symptomatic treatment is recommended after excluding other more dangerous diseases. A serological test is recommended.

Precautions:

- Get rid of any containers storing water such as buckets, old tyres,
flower vases, food cans and cover over-head tanks carefully.

- Keep
covered. Wear full-sleeve clothes and cover the legs, especially at
time of work, as it is a day-time mosquito which spreads the disease

- Cover all windows with mosquito preventive nets and apply mosquito repellents.

- Urge your local health authorities for urgent fogging of your area.

Recent cases:

- According to WHO, a mixed outbreak of chikungunya, with sporadic
cases of dengue has been reported in Andhra Pradesh. Between 1 December
2005 - 17 February 2006, 5671 cases of fever with arthralgia were
reported.

- High density of Aedes aegypti was observed in the area.
From 1-15 March, over 2000 cases of chikungunya have been reported from
Malegaon town in Nasik district, Maharashtra.

- In
Orissa state, India, 4904 cases of fever associated with myalgia and
headache have been reported between 27 February - 5 March 2006. These
signs are consistent with an arbovirus outbreak. Results of a
biological investigation are awaited.
SOURCE CNN IBN

So people, be wary of ChikunGunya…

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