Chikungunya manifestation possible in co-infection cases: Health dept
Private hospitals in the city have witnessed rare manifestations amongst Chikungunya virus-infected patients like encephalitis, meningoencephalitis, Myocarditis, gastroenteritis, kidney injury, sepsis and Guillain-Barré syndrome amongst others
The public health department on Tuesday issued directions to all local bodies across the state to intensify Chikungunya disease surveillance, entomological survey and containment activities.
Private hospitals in the city have witnessed rare manifestations amongst Chikungunya virus-infected patients like encephalitis, meningoencephalitis, Myocarditis, gastroenteritis, kidney injury, sepsis and Guillain-Barré syndrome amongst others.
Dr Radhakishan Pawar, joint director of health services, said, people should not panic and take precautions.
“These symptoms have been observed in many patients in the past. Such symptoms can also occur in cases of co-infection with other diseases, such as Dengue, Zika and Japanese encephalitis amongst others,” he said.
Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health officer, of Pune Municipal Corporation said, the surveillance and containment activities have been intensified in the city.
“We have started collecting details of Chikungunya-positive patients with rare manifestations from city hospitals. Besides, we have asked the private doctors to also share details of chikungunya-infected patients reported this year,” he said.
According to the NIV officials, the current CHIKV virus circulating in Pune district is an old strain belonging to the Indian Ocean lineage of the East-Central-South African (ECSA) genotype of CHIKV.
The institute tested 3,208 samples from Pune district between July and September 15, and 1,004 samples have tested positive for the virus.
