Mumbai: The hospital outpatient department and clinic witnessed the increase in the case of Chikungunya together with dengue fever for the past and a half.
The two virus diseases were transmitted by Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes.
While the official figure of Chikungunya for the city is not available, the number of countries shows an increase in several districts.
Until mid September, Maharashtra reported 1,537 confirmed Chikungunya cases, a 100% increase of 782 cases last year (see boxes).
The majority of reported cases came from Nashik, Kolhapur and Nagpur.
Data from the Metropolis lab shows an increasing trend from Chikungunya in the city for the past three months.
In July, 239 of 790 samples (tested using three positive methods).
That number rose to 564 of 1,943 samples in August.
Until September 19, there were 510 positive from 1,749 test samples.
Testing in Mumbai and Thane districts is inadequate and cases can be reported, said Dr.
Mahendra Jagtap, State Entomology.
Almost a dozen private and public hospitals from the city told TOI that they had treats a stable patient’s stream with complaints of fever, rash, headache and nausea.
The symptom of chikungunya the most defining is acute pain in joints that can last up to one year in parents.
Dr.
Behram Pardiwala, head of internal treatment at Wockhardt Hospital, has treated nearly 40 cases in the past six weeks.
“The patients came with very high fever and joint pain,” he said.
Doctor of Bombay Hospital Dr.
Gautam Bhansali has six patients received for Chikungunya.
“These patients experience high fever along with pain and other pain.
Some of the WBC falls need to be hospitalized,” he said.
Dr.
Anita Mathew, a specialist infectious disease in Fortis Hospital, said they had treated 22 chikungunya patients in recent months.
“There was a surge this year compared to the previous two years,” he said.
A civilian official said there was no worrying increase.
“We took many steps to curb the spread of dengue fever and it was the same vector that caused chikungunya,” the official said.
Viral diseases, although not life-threatening, can cause weakening pain, especially in senior citizens, said Dr.
Hemalata Arora from Nanavati Hospital, where two hospitalizations took place last week.
One of them was a 68-year-old child whose arthritis was exacerbated by chikungunya infection.
The pain can be so torturous so that even a 27-year-old child gets hospitalized last week, said Dr.
Paritosh Baghel, an internal medical consultant at SL Raheja Hospital.