Chikungunya hits Karachi

   Karachi has been prone to various viral infections and now its citizens are vulnerable to Chikungunya. Chikungunya; a new viral infection spreading among Karachi citizens. Within a few days 100s’ of people including children, youngsters, elderly and old age people have been affected from this viral infection. Most recent figures count over another 100 people diagnosed with this disease in past 24 hours.

   Chikungunya is basically a disease transmitted to humans by a mosquito. The most terrible fact about this disease is that the infected mosquito can carry both Dengue virus and Chikungunya virus at the same time. Consequently, the host of the infected mosquito can suffer from Dengue as well as Chikungunya simultaneously. It was first diagnosed in 1935 and is affecting many people in various countries since then. Recently Chikungunya virus was found in an American island ailing many of its people. It is normally found in tropical countries of Africa and South Asia.

 

    Like all other viral infections, Chikungunya also gives its first symptom as high fever and severe joint pains. Experts say that symptoms of this disease may occur after 3-7 days of being bitten by an infected mosquito. Other symptoms can be joint swelling, muscle pain, headache or skin rashes. Doctors say that the disease is not deadly itself but its symptoms can be severe and sometimes may even cause limb disabling. Newborns, old age people (>65 years), blood pressure and heart patients are more vulnerable to Chikungunya. The major difference between Dengue fever and Chikungunya is that Dengue causes bleeding from nose or ears and is fatal whereas Chikungunya is rarely fatal and vanishes in a few days of treatment.

    Physicians and medical experts suggest rest and excessive water consumption to fight dehydration. Doctors also suggest to isolate the infectee from mosquitos as infectious virus can be carried by a mosquito to some other healthy person. Health experts also stress on regular cleanliness habit. They say that mosquitoes and other infections grow in dirty and filthy areas so cleaning garbage and dirt from surrounding can keep one safe from infectious diseases.

 

    Chikungunya can be prevented from spreading further by cleaning garbage and dirt daily from our surroundings. There are piles of garbage in Karachi specially Malir, Kimari and many other areas which is the main cause of the disease. Government should try hard to clean garbage and filth from roads and streets of Karachi to make it safe from other serious infectious diseases. Furthermore, provincial health ministry should also design effective campaigns to communicate importance of cleanliness in the citizens from grass root to higher levels. Other than government, people should also make cleanliness their habit so that they may get themselves protected from future viral infectious diseases.

Syeda Sameen Sarwat