The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : More chikungunya cases reported

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 24, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

More chikungunya cases reported

Staff Reporter

BBMP’s Srirampuram Referral Hospital received about 40 cases on Monday
Private practitioners reporting four to five cases a day

Bangalore: Even as the authorities are gearing up to control the spread of chikungunya, a large number of suspected cases of the viral disease have been reported from Srirampuram and surrounding areas on Monday.

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) Srirampuram Referral Hospital received close to 40 patients with symptoms of chikungunya on Monday alone. But most of them were not of a severe form and were treated in the out-patient department, BBMP Chief Health Officer L.T. Gayatri Devi said.

Private clinics in Srirampuram, Laxminarayanpuram, Bashyamnagar, Sevashram and Nagappa Block have also been reporting suspected cases of chikungunya and medical practitioners said they have been seeing an average of four to five cases in a day.

Though the BBMP is still waiting for reports of the blood samples that it has sent to the Public Health Institute for confirmation, the authorities are gearing up to tackle the outbreak.

Top officials from the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare held a meeting with BBMP health officials on Monday to chalk out measures to ensure that the viral disease does not spread to other areas.

Health Commissioner P.N. Srinivaschary told The Hindu that he had suggested that the BBMP can set up “rapid response teams” in the affected areas and other slums to educate the public on the precautions to be taken.

Dr. Gayatri said that teams of health officials would visit 100 houses every day in the affected areas to educate the inmates on the do’s and don’ts of the viral disease. “We have already started intensive cleaning activities including fogging and spraying of pesticides,” she added.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka