Infection not a fatal disease in general, causes fever and pains
Islamabad
Chikungunya, a viral disease that has threatened population in Karachi is not a real threat, at least at the time, for population in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi along with adjoining areas where the mercury level has already fallen below 14 degree centigrade.
Chikungunya virus is transmitted to humans through mosquito bites, through the same vector that causes dengue fever that is ‘aedes aegypti’ and ‘aedes albopictus’ and in this region of the country, the weather conditions have become unsuitable for mosquitoes to breed and to feed on humans.
In extreme cold, the mosquitoes do not have capability to mount on humans to feed due to weakness in their joints and in the existing weather conditions, there are least chances of spread of disease in this region of the country, said Additional District Health Officer at ICT Health Department Dr Muhammad Najeeb Durrani while talking to ‘The News’ on Monday.
He however added that keeping in view the presence of Chikungunya virus vector in Pakistan, there is a need to be on high alert to avoid spread of the disease after winter. Dengue fever vector ‘aedes aegypti’ is present in abundance in Pakistan and it is the same vector that causes chikungunya and thus we need to think about the serious nature of the alert regarding spread of chikungunya virus, he said.
Dr. Durrani who is an epidemiologist and Member Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network (GOARN) informed ‘The News’ that during the dengue fever outbreak in 2005, the cases of chikungunya were also reported in Karachi.
He, like many other health experts is of the view that if the cases being reported presently in Karachi are confirmed positive for chikungunya, then the health planners should think about developing an urgent strategy to avoid its possible appearance and spread in Pakistan after the winter season.
Chikungunya virus is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected ‘aedes’ species mosquito. The most common symptoms of chikungunya are fever and joint pain along with some other symptoms including headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash Symptoms usually begin 3–7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
There is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat chikungunya. The patients of the illness are managed through supportive medication like dengue fever however unlike dengue fever, it is not fatal in general however severe cases of the infection may need hospitalization.
Studies reveal that most patients infected with chikungunya virus feel better within a week though some patients may suffer from the joint pain for months. People at risk for more severe disease include newborns infected around the time of birth, older adults over 65 years of age and people with medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease. It is important that in general, the symptoms of chikungunya are similar to those of dengue fever.
Dr. Durrani said that the health departments in Pakistan have been dealing with ‘aedes aegypti’ for well over 10 years for checking spread of dengue fever and the same mechanism and vector control strategies can be followed to avoid spread of chikungunya virus if the disease appears in the country.