Chikungunya not life threatening: experts

“This disease is unlike dengue where death can occur. Dengue also does not give immunity to a person. In case of Chikungunya,there is no fear of death and if one is infected he or she will not be infected again. So fear dengue and not chikungunya,” a health official with the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme said.

“Chikungunya was reported more this year because of the Commonwealth Games preparations. Due to construction work,water remained stagnant at many places leading to breeding of mosquitoes,” he said.

Chikungunya outbreak can affect more than a lakh people at one go. If it affects a community or a territory as a whole,it does not affect that community for the next 40 to 50 years,the expert said.

Citing an example he said,”It had taken the form of an epidemic in states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu in 1963.

Thereafter,sporadic cases have been recorded from these states.”

A total of 73,288 chikungunya cases was reported in the year 2009 in 14 states. This year,a total of 20,307 have been reported till now.

Chikungunya is a viral illness that is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes. It resembles dengue fever. The symptoms include fever,chills,headache,nausea,vomiting,joint pain,and rash. Severe joint pain is the most common feature of the disease.

Recovery from chikungunya can be prolonged and persistent joint pain may require long-term anti-inflammatory therapy.