After viral fever, malaria and dengue, a more lethal mosquito-caused illness is causing panic in the city.
As per official reports, no case of chikungunya has been traced in the city but four patients with its symptoms are being treated. Their samples have been sent to a laboratory."We have already started a survey in the city to identify chikungunya patients but no one has so far been traced," said chief medical officer D.C. Jain.
However, there is panic in the city over the infection. Mistaking normal joint pains and viral fever for chikungunya, many people are visiting local hospitals.
Chikungunya is a relatively rare form of viral fever caused by an alphavirus that is spread by bites from the aedes aegypti mosquito. Its symptoms are fever and shivering, joint pain, headache, weakness and nausea.
In Sirohi area of the state, 10 cases of chikungunya have already been identified by the hospital administration while in Jalore about five samples are under diagnosis.
About 42 cases of chikungunya have been traced in Jodhpur region alone, in which over 600,000 people are reportedly suffering from fever. Some 630 patients approached six major hospitals in Jaipur on Saturday. All the patients' complained of high fever.
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However, despite a fogging machine, the Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) is unable to undertake the exercise due to a ban by the medical and health department.
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A JMC official said they have been running an anti-larva campaign in the city since the onset of the monsoon. Pesticides are being sprayed in all the waterlogged areas and waste heaps to prevent multiplication of mosquitoes.
The health department, too, has taken strong measures to stimulate the anti-larva campaign. Across the state, 331 mobile teams have been constituted to tour 21 districts.
Source-IANS
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