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One confirmed case of Chikungunya in Delhi

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI: The Capital recorded its first confirmed case of the vector-borne disease chikungunya at Paharganj on Tuesday.

Following confirmation of the disease having arrived in the city, the State Health Department has asked all its hospitals to be on alert and immediately report any cases of chikungunya. An official said the department was not willing to take any chances and that it had already put in place measures to check the spread of the disease.

"We have one confirmed case of chikungunya in the city. A patient who had come to the Out Patients Department of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital early this week has tested positive. The patient had come in with high fever and is not currently admitted at the hospital. We are trying to trace this person who according to the hospital records is from the Paharganj area. The patient's blood sample had been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) and it has tested positive for chikungunya," said Health Minister Yoganand Shastri.

Monitoring panel

He said that in an effort to ensure that the Capital remains protected against chikungunya and other diseases, the Department is setting up a monitoring committee consisting of members from NICD, district health officials and individuals from independent bodies including NGOs and RWAs who will assist the Government in spreading awareness about the need to prevent breeding of mosquitoes in various parts of the city.

Chikungunya is a relatively rare form of viral fever spread by aedes aegypti mosquitoes and is generally not fatal. Its symptoms include high fever, headache and joint pain. The fever typically lasts two days and comes down abruptly, but other symptoms, including joint pain, intense headache and insomnia, last longer, for five to seven days.

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