Chikunguniya, a debilitating non-fatal viral illness like dengue is tranmitted by `Aedes Aegypti' mosquito, which is also the vector of dengue. The states earlier affected by dengue fever should be on alert, she said.
The affected states -- Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Kerala -- have been directed to focus on elimination of all potential mosquito breeding places by taking up anti-larval measures.
The Minister urged voluntary organisations and panchayat raj institutions to work together to check the disease.
Karnataka has registered the largest number of cases followed by Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, she said adding that of the 10,611 serum samples sent from affected states to the labs in Pune and Delhi, 992 were confirmed cases of chikungunya.
In Andhra Pradesh the number of suspected cases crossed 66,000 and 150 confirmed cases were reported from five most affected districts, she said.
Source:PTI News