Not just dengue, even chikungunya — a debilitating but non-fatal viral illness — has registered a steep and steady rise in the city, with doctors urging Delhiites to tackle mosquito breeding on a war-footing.
Battling the virus is the country’s premier medical institute, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), which has reportedly registered a rise in the number of chikungunya cases.
Dr. Vijay Kumar, president of the resident doctors’ association at AIIMS, said several guards at the institute had tested positive for chikungunya.
“The rampant mosquito breeding on the campus has brought on this situation,” he said.
Symptoms
Chikungunya spreads through the bite of an infected female Aedes aegypti mosquito. The most common symptoms, which develop three to seven days after being bitten by an infected mosquito, include fever and joint pain. Other symptoms include headache, muscle pain, swelling of the joints and rashes.
“There is no need to panic since chikungunya is a non-fatal illness. Most patients suffering from it will feel better within a week. In some people, however, joint pain may persist for months. Thus, it is important to take necessary precautions against getting bitten by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, known to cause both chikungunya and dengue,” said K. K. Aggarwal of the Indian Medical Association.
He added that those at risk include newborns infected around the time of birth, adults over the age of 65 years, and people with medical conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease.
Precautions
According to the World Health Organisation, chikungunya causes fever and severe joint pain. Joint pain is often debilitating and can vary in duration.
In a joint statement, senior physicians N. K. Yadav and V. K. Monga said the Aedes aegypti mosquito breeds in clean water, making it imperative to regularly clean water containers and tanks, and check discarded items like buckets, utensils, tyres, flowerpots, etc., for signs of mosquito breeding.
While the peak biting time of the Aedes aegypti mosquito are early morning or late evening, the mosquito is also known to bite at night in a well-lit room, making the use of mosquito repellents essential.
There is no vaccine or medicine to prevent or treat the chikungunya virus at present, only medicines to ease the symptoms.
Meanwhile, a 38-year-old woman, a relative of an AAP MLA, allegedly died of dengue on Friday. Nazish, sister-in-law of Okhla MLA Amanatulllah Khan, died at the Apollo hospital.
According to the Okhla MLA, his 11-year-old daughter too is suffering from the vector-borne disease.
According to the municipal corporations, at least 171 cases of dengue have been reported in Delhi this season, with 52 of these being recorded in the first week of August.
Doctors have cautioned against the use of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) until dengue is ruled out to reduce the risk of bleeding as both the ailments present similar symptoms.
There is no need to panic as chikungunya is a non-fatal illness. Most patients suffering from it will feel better within a week. In some people, however, joint pain may persist for months
K. K. Aggarwal,Secretary General of the IMA
