Chikungunya Fever Grips Delhi, 400 New Cases Reported in a Week

Delhi’s civic authorities had reported just 20 cases till last week.

Chikungunya cases in Delhi have shot up to 423. (Photo: iStockphoto)

Chikungunya cases in Delhi have shot up to 423, a massive rise in the figure released by civic authorities, who had reported just 20 cases till last week.

While Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi has reported nearly 250 cases till 29 August, 423 cases have been diagnosed in the national capital till August 27, according to a municipal report released on Monday.

A viral disease transmitted to humans by mosquitoes, Chikungunya’s symptoms are similar to those of dengue, which include high-grade fever, severe joint pain, muscle pain and headache and joint swelling. It also causes rashes in patients but is not a threat like dengue in which there is a risk of bleeding due to abrupt fall in platelet count.

Also Read: Alarming Rise in Chikungunya Cases: Here are the DOs and DON’Ts

The sudden spike in chikungunya cases in Delhi and several other parts of north India, has come nearly 10 years after a big outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease across the country

This year till 28 July, 9,990 suspected cases of the disease have been recorded, with Karnataka reporting 7,591 cases. Health experts have attributed the rise to a possible “evolution” in the virus that carries this disease and change in weather factors like humidity.

(With PTI inputs)