The Hindu : National : Chikungunya cases on the rise

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Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008
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Chikungunya cases on the rise

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Chikungunya cases increased, with the latest figures touching 70,740 as against 59,536 last year. While Karnataka tops with 48,618 cases, Kerala has reported 24,605 and Maharashtra 398.

Cases have also been reported from Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Tamil Nadu, and Haryana.

Dengue cases on the decline

However, the incidence of dengue is declining, with only 38 deaths reported from across the country compared with last year’s 69. The number of cases is 2,808 as against 5,634 last year.

The highest number of 14 deaths has been reported from Maharashtra, where 252 people have been affected. Nine deaths were reported from Haryana, where 738 have contracted the disease.

Tamil Nadu, too, has reported one death and 282 cases. Two persons have died and 348 taken ill in New Delhi, according to data released by the National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme.

Vector-borne diseases

Another vector-borne disease, malaria, has claimed 154 lives and affected over 2.86 lakh people across the country.

As many as 48 have died in Orissa alone, where 84,309 were also taken ill because of mosquito bite. Orissa is followed by Meghalaya, where 33 deaths were reported and over 10,000 taken ill.

Japanese encephalitis is yet another vector-borne disease that claims many young lives every year in the rainy season.

This year 254 children died and 1,510 were taken ill. The most number of fatalities is in Uttar Pradesh, where 231 deaths and 1,315 cases have been reported. In Assam, 23 children died and 103 were affected.

Kala-azar, confined to the north and northeast, has resulted in the death of 75 people, and 17,637 have been taken ill.

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