A new form of virus infection with symptoms similar to those of chikungunya and dengue is spreading in the national Capital. According to microbiologists and doctors, they have come across many patients who are suffering from loss of consciousness, unrelenting fever and vomiting, but they have tested negative for dengue and chikungunya.
Medical professionals suspect certain mutation could have occurred in the virus genome. They, however, are yet to figure out about the genesis of this new virus.
Presently, OPDs of the all private and Government hospitals are running in full capacity with the patients suffering from vector-borne diseases. Dr RS Taneja, who heads the Internal Medicine department at RMl hospital, said, “We are coming across patients who are complaining of symptoms of dengue and chikungunya but diagnostic tests are coming negative. This year, some new strain of virus is circulating.”
Dr Shailni Malhotra, microbiologist at RMl Hospital, said they have diagnostic kits only for dengue and chikungunya tests. “If a new virus is mutating, these kits would not be able to detect them,” she said.
The diagnostic test for for dengue is NS1-antigen, and for chikungunya RT-PCR with serological tests.
Many patients are found to be simultaneously suffering from gastrointestinal, jaundice, pneumonia, respiratory disorders along with severe viral infections, which were not the case in previous years, noted city doctors.
Dr SP Byotra, chairman of Internal Medicine at Sir Gangaram Hospital, said, “There must be some virus mutation. Virus keeps on changing its face to protect themselves. This year, more than 60 per cent of patients in our OPD are complaining of these issues.”
Dr AC Dhariwal, Director, Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) told The Pioneer that Integrated Disease Surveillance Progamme (IDSP) is keeping a track of any new strain of virus circulating. Cases of chikungunya could be much higher than corporations’ figure, he added.
Dr Dhariwal said more vector-borne infections are reported in slum and those areas which have poor drainage system and houses which did not follow mosquito breeding preventive measures.
“This year, there was huge rainfall and environment is damp and moist. In 2006, there was a chikungunya outbreak. In the coming days, numbers would swell to three times as peak time is yet to come.”
Number of chikungunya cases had shot up to 423 in Delhi from just 20 cases reported civic bodies till last week. The report released by civic bodies on Monday showed over 20 times increase in the number of chikungunya cases. Meanwhile, second year in a row, Delhi-NCR faces a dengue crisis as well with 487 dengue cases having been reported so far spelling double trouble for the Delhiites.