Hyderabad: In response to a travel advisory issued by the US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) over a surge in chikungunya cases among travellers from Telangana, the state health department said that the situation remained under control. The department dismissed fears of an alarming outbreak, attributing the rise to seasonal patterns and highlighting proactive measures undertaken to manage the disease.
Dr. B. Ravinder Nayak, director of public health, stated that out of 13,320 samples tested as of November 19, 447 chikungunya cases were confirmed in Telangana, predominantly during August and September. “The state has implemented a concentrated effort to address seasonal peaks during monsoon months. No fatalities have been reported,” Dr. Nayak stated.
Preventive measures began before the monsoon. The state has also regularly submitted weekly and monthly reports to the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, emphasising its robust management of vector-borne diseases, he said
Doctors however told Deccan Chronicle that chikungunya cases had surpassed dengue cases this year, marking a significant shift. Dr Sandeep Ghanta from Star Hospitals reported that 80 per cent of patients exhibited chikungunya symptoms, compared to 20 per cent with dengue. Persistent joint pains, even months after infection, have emerged as a major concern, with some patients requiring steroids and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Dr Prashanth Chandra from Care Hospitals observed that many patients exhibited a significant drop in platelet counts, a trend more commonly associated with dengue. “The number of Chikungunya cases we received was double that of dengue this year,” he said.
An alarming concern raised by infectious disease specialists is the inconsistency in test results. “Many patients showed chikungunya-like symptoms but tested negative,” said one expert, attributing this to the reliance on rapid IgM tests at government centres instead of PCR tests. Dr Chandra estimated that 20-30 per cent of patients with typical symptoms tested negative but suffered from joint pain and fever for about a week.
