The number of chikungunya cases has gone up to 258 this year in Sangam city due to higher exposure to the infection in urban areas, health officials said.
Figures of the Health department revealed that out of 258 cases, 255 cases were reported in urban areas while remaining three in rural areas.
District malaria officer (Prayagraj), AK Singh, said, “This was the first time when cases of chikungunya were reported on UDSP (Urban Disease Surveillance Portal) in the city. As there was much more exposure to this virus from the last couple of months, it is spreading to some specific urban pockets.”
Eight localities of city west areas, including Kalindipuram, Mundera, Sulemsarai, TP Nagar and adjoining areas are already under the scanner of health department.
The DMO said, “Chikungunya is transmitted to humans when infected female mosquitoes bite them. Most commonly, the mosquitoes involved are Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. These two species can also transmit other mosquito-borne viruses including dengue. They bite throughout daylight hours, although there may be peaks of activity in the early morning and late afternoon.”
Senior medical officer, Dr Anupam Dwivedi said, “For protection during outbreaks of chikungunya, clothing which minimises skin exposure to day-biting mosquitoes is advised. Treatment is done on a case-to-case basis,”he added.
Those infected show symptoms within three to seven days after a mosquito bite. The virus can cause acute, subacute or chronic disease. Most patients get better within one to two weeks, while some may suffer joint and muscle pain for months.
“The patients had a set of concerning symptoms, including fever, joint pain, and skin rashes. Doctors said that to address these health issues effectively, a proactive approach to prevention is recommended. This entails safeguarding oneself from vector-borne diseases, primarily transmitted by mosquitoes. Besides, individuals are encouraged to take precautions such as wearing full-sleeve shirts to reduce exposure to mosquito bites and utilising mosquito repellent as an additional protective measure,” added Dwivedi.
Moreover, it is essential to collectively engage in environmental responsibility by eliminating stagnant water sources nearby as they serve as breeding grounds for disease-carrying mosquitoes, contributing significantly to the prevention efforts. Apart from this, weather conditions are optimal for virus and mosquitoes’ survival due to easily available stagnant water and relatively warmer temperatures. Hence, there is an increase in the number of cases of chikungunya.
PROTEST: Students protested in front of the Union Gate of the university and demanded action against the chief proctor who allegedly resorted to lathicharge.
Students said is highly condemnable that the district administration is not taking action. The district administration is registering cases against the students for entering the campus, while the chief proctor who ‘lathicharged’ is being given ‘protection’.
They said that suspension, expulsion of students, restricting entry into the campus etc. by the university administration is ‘undemocratic’ and a violation of freedom of expression. Suspended research student Manish Kumar said the protest will continue until chief proctor is arrested.
Sudhir, a student, said that the university administration and the district administration are together suppressing the students. This oppression of students will not be tolerated at all, he added.
Avinash, Harendra, Navneet, Ashu, Vivek, Aman, Gaurav, Anurag etc were present on this occasion.