Six cases of chikungunya from the city, the season’s first, were notified on Tuesday by the State-run Fever Hospital.
A close relative of dengue virus, chikungunya reared its head about a decade ago and has since been endemic to the city. It causes symptoms similar to dengue and is often confused with the former. Doctors at Fever Hospital said six patients had come this month with complaints of fever with body pain, and were being provided supportive therapy. Their samples, along with a batch of 20 others, were sent for testing.
“The IgM antibodies testing confirmed chikungunya infection in the six persons from around Hyderabad,” the hospital’s superintendent Dr. K. Shankar informed. While a couple of the patients have been discharged, others are recovering, he added.
This year, the number of mosquito-borne infections is relatively smaller compared to previous years. Last month, the hospital reported 78 cases of dengue infections. However, the number of diphtheria cases is on the rise. Around 20 patients are undergoing treatment at the hospital and new cases continue to arrive. The State Health Department has taken up a vaccination drive, following a survey and review of vaccination data.
