Published Date: 2008-01-02 20:00:14
Subject: PRO/EDR> Chikungunya - India: (West Bengal)
Archive Number: 20080102.0013

CHIKUNGUNYA - INDIA: (WEST BENGAL)
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Mon 31 Dec 2007
Source: The Statesman [edited]
<http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=23&theme=&usrsess=1&id=183436>

After affecting people in several villages of North 24-Parganas and
some pockets of Kolkata [formerly Calcutta], chikungunya, a
mosquito-borne disease, has now spread to South 24-Parganas.
Panic gripped residents of Mathurapur in South 24-Parganas after 7
people were tested as chikungunya positive last week.
District health officials said the disease broke out at first in Lilua
near Mathurapur last week; 25 residents of the area were suffering
from fever, after which 7 were diagnosed to have chikungunya, said Dr
Sachhidananda Sarkar, chief medical officer of health, South
24-Parganas.
The district health authorities have issued an alert and sent a
medical team to the affected village. Remedial measures are being
taken to stop the disease from spreading to neighbouring villages,
said Dr Sarkar. Blood samples of 14 people had been sent to the
Institute of Tropical Medicine in the city for testing. ... Though we
are yet to receive reports [in writing? - Mod.JW], we have been
informed over the phone that the chikungunya virus was found in the
blood samples of 7 people. They are being treated at the hospital now.
The block health administration of Mathurapur block has been put on
alert," Dr Sarkar said.
"We have been organising awareness camps at the village, and a
medical team has already been sent. People have been requested to use
mosquito-nets to minimise the risk of being afflicted with
chikungunya," said a senior district health official. Apart from the
health department, local body and block administrations have
initiated a drive to control the breeding of mosquitoes.
Disinfectants are being spread in drains and wetlands in the area.
Medicines are also being distributed among the villagers. The local
primary health centre has been asked to stay alert. The district
health administrative officials are constantly monitoring the
condition of the people suffering from fever.
"Although no fresh case of chikungunya has been reported from
Mathurapur and its surrounding areas in the past 3 days, all the
block medical officers in the district have been asked to stay
alert," said Dr Sarkar.
Chikungunya has already claimed a few lives in the city and in
North-24 Parganas in the past months. "The situation is very much
under control, as no fresh cases of chikungunya have been reported
from Mathurapur in the past 3 days. There is nothing to panic
[about], as adequate remedial measures are being taken," said Dr
Sarkar.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Brent Barrett
[Although the application of "disinfectants" (presumably
insecticides) on wetlands and drains may help to reduce the
populations of some mosquito species, it will have little effect on
chikungunya virus vectors, which are probably _Aedes aegypti_ or
perhaps _Ae. albopictus_. _Ae aegypti_ breed in water containers in
and around houses and other buildings, so vector control measures
should be focused on those areas. Insecticide application to wetlands
is likely to cause adverse effects on populations of other
invertebrates and perhaps on amphibians and other vertebrates living
or feeding in those areas, depending on the insecticide used.
An interactive ProMED health map of India showing the location of
Kolkata can be accessed at:
<http://healthmap.org/promed?v=22.9,79.6,5>.
- Mod.TY]

See Also

2007
----
Chikungunya (05): India (KA), RFI 20071222.4113
Chikungunya (03): Indonesia, India 20071209.3971
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update (26): India (Orissa) 20071107.3619
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update (25) India (W.Bengal), susp, RFI
20071106.3608
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update (24) India (Jaipur), susp., RFI
20070904.2910
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update (22) India (West Bengal) 20070815.2671
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update (21) India (Calcutta) 20070807.2568
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update (20) India (Kerala) 20070804.2536
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update (19) India (Kerala) 20070724.2380
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update (18) India (Kerala): confirmed 20070723.2365
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update (17) India (Delhi) 20070722.2355
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update (16) India (Kerala) 20070718.2305
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update (15) India (Kerala) 20070717.2296
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update (14) India (Kerala) 20070712.2235
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update (13) India (Kerala) 20070621.2008
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update (11) India (Kerala) 20070531.1757
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update (09) India (Orissa): susp. 20070527.1705
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update (08) India (Kerala) 20070524.1669
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update (07) India (Vadodara) susp. 20070430.1405
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean (06): Sri Lanka, India, Islands 20070320.0974
Chikungunya - India Ocean update (04) India 20070226.0689
Chikungunya - Indian Ocean update 20070121.0285
..............................................ty/msp/jw
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