Enter chikungunya

Six new cases of the viral disease reported in Delhi

Six new cases of the viral disease reported in Delhi

Dengue and swine flu were headache enough for the Delhi government. Now adding to its woes, chikungunya has made a comeback in the national capital.u00a0

The city reported six new cases of the viral disease on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases in Delhi to eight. As per the report released by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the figure last year was nil.

According to health department officials, the vector which carries dengue is also responsible for spreading chikungunya.

The cases were reported from the Palam area in outer Delhi.u00a0 They were initially reported to Public Health Centre Palam. A medical team from Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) took the sample and found them to be positive.

MCD has deployed a number of specialists to find the source of the disease.

"We have deputed a team of entomologists and epidemiologists to find the source of infection. They will take appropriate action to check breeding of mosquitoes and elimination of adult mosquitoes in the area.u00a0

chikungunya is also spread by the vector Aedes.u00a0But the virus is different from dengue," said Dr V K Monga, chairman MCD.

Meanwhile, the city has reported 86 fresh cases of dengue taking the total number of patients to 2,536.
Rajendra Kumar, secretary, Health department was unavailable for comment.

House arrest

Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has issued a notice to the various departments, expressing concern over the rising cases of dengue.

Apparently, MCD in a detailed study said the most affected segment is students and persons who go out for jobs or business. "Analysis of data of 1,000 patients available indicates that out of them, 674 were male and 326 female. The largest number -- 758 -- belongs to the age group of 11-40," said Dr Monga. MCD will deploy a team of two field workers and eight workers of domestic breeding checkers in all schools.