HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh Health Minister K. Rosaiah has confirmed the incidence of chikun gunya in Anantapur, Kurnool, Kadapa, Chittoor, Nalgonda, Prakasam and Guntur districts and Hyderabad city.

He told a press conference here on Tuesday that out of the blood samples collected in these areas recently by experts of the National Institute of Virology, Pune, 139 tested positive for chikun gunya, six for dengue and 15 for both.

The Minister said the incidence of chikun gunya was last reported in Madras in 1965. The mysterious fever with joint pains found its way into Andhra Pradesh in December last. Though fever subsided after treatment, joint pains continued. Any sufferer of these symptoms must approach the nearest primary health centre for treatment.

The Minister said 25,754 cases of chikun gunya were reported from the affected districts till Monday but confirmed only two out of the three deaths reported, both from Kadiri in Anantapur district — Annapurnamma and Yezdhani. Bhaskara Rao of Tirupati, however, died due to renal failure.

Chikun gunya virus is transmitted by aedes egypti mosquito which breeds in artificial accumulation of water in and around dwellings — in discarded tins, broken bottles, flower-pots, coconut shells, earthen pots, tree holes, air-coolers and overhead tanks. The mosquito, whose lifespan is 8 to 34 days, hardly flies for 100 metres. It bites during the day, the Minister said.

Preventive steps

Mr. Rosaiah said preventive and curative steps had been taken up in a big way. "There is no dearth of funds, drugs or the will to work." Stocks of drugs worth Rs. 7.5 crore such as paracetamol, brufen and diclofenac for treating fever, inflammation and pains were kept ready at different places. A massive anti-mosquito and anti-larval operation had been taken up to contain the disease. Poster campaign was on all over the State suggesting dos and don'ts to tackle the disease.

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