Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur   

`Death cause not chikun gunya'

Staff Reporter

Health Officer says though victims had chikun gunya they were already suffering from other diseases

ANANTAPUR: Medical and Health Department has claimed that none died of chikun gunya viral fever in the district since its outbreak in January this year. However, the disease is still troubling people all over the district, particularly in 162 villages.

Low immunity results

Addressing mediapersons, District Medical and Health Officer Y. Swaroop Kumar Reddy stated that though many people inflicted with chikun gunya died the exact cause of death was other diseases they were already suffering from.

He explained that they had recorded 38 deaths, which had occurred due to chikun gunya according to the public, and found in all the cases that they had been suffering from other diseases. He, however, suggested that chikun gunya might have aggravated their ill-health by diminishing their immunity.

Further, he claimed that chikun gunya virus might have already been injected into thousands of others by tiger mosquitoes but there was no risk to their life, as they had better immunity power. Otherwise, the death toll would have been huge, he said.

The department would definitely admit if there had been genuine chikun gunya deaths, as it did four years ago when 47 children had died of Japanese Encephalitis (brain fever), Dr. Reddy claimed.

Steps taken

The district administration had sanctioned Rs. 7,000 to each gram panchayat to could reduce the mosquito menace. Besides, they were also supplied pyrethrum liquid for spraying in houses to kill mosquitoes and larvae.

It was already sprayed in about 40,000 houses in 130 villages. They had also been trying to create awareness among people by asking them to change stored water.

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