The All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has admitted 112 chikungunya patients. Out of these, 57 patients are suffering from rashes and itching, affecting 49 per cent of their bodies.
According to a senior doctor of AIIMS, such type of cases were seen in dengue patients in 1988. Usually, itching occurs after rashes but this time round patients are suffering with the same symptoms. According to AIIMS findings, the institute has recorded 5 per cent cases of dengue while 58 per cent patients are being treated for chikungunya
Dr SK Sharma, Professor and Head of Department of Internal Medicine at AIIMS, said, “The rashes with itching in 57 patients are very severe. Usually, itching appears due to rashes in dengue patients. Such type of cases were seen way back in 1988. However, itching and rashes are seen in chikungunya patients too”.
This happens due to the virus which is circulating in the blood, develops the antibodies and builds up immune complex in the body. This gets deposited in the skin therefore, skin starts to give immune response, explained Dr Dar, Virologist at AIIMS. However, there is nothing to worry as the fever decreases, these itchy rashes will also start to finish, he added.
Meanwhile, Dr MC Misrha, the AIIMS Director asked people not to panic. In any viral fever, 99.9 per cent can be treated with three precautions — Homecare, Hydration and Hydrotherapy.” This year about 10,000 cases of chikungunya is seen in Karnataka alone, “ Dr Mishra said.
The Pioneer was first to report about seven patients with co-infection of both dengue and chinkungunya at AIIMS. “Till Friday, we have 11 patients admitted who are diagnosed with dengue and chikungunya both. They are on close monitoring and such cases are rarely found at the time of epidemic,” Dr Sharma added.
Dr Anil Goswami from community medicine and Nodal Officer Disease Prevention and Outbreak Response Cell (DPORC) at AIIMS said that people should keep their surroundings free of mosquito breeding spots. A senior doctor slammed the city Government for not conducting the active fogging drive early.
According to doctors, Chikungunya in India was seen in 2006 when about 14 lakhs people were affected across the country. “It can be termed as an outbreak this year because, the CHIK virus was not here for the past 10 years. The people who were not exposed to this virus and are susceptible to this virus as its intensity has increased during 10 years and they stand at the risk of this infection,” said Dr lalit Dar, professor of Virologist at AIIMS.
Dr Dar said as the chikungunya virus has only one serotype (distinct variation within a species of virus), unlike dengue which has for serotypes (Den 1, 2, 3, 4) so it is expected that a person cannot get Chikungunya infection more than once in their lifetime.