KARACHI - As many as 2,481 suspected chikungunya cases have been reported in Karachi in last six months.
However, 192 patients tested positive after 231 blood samples were sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad for investigation. It is worth mentioning here that there is no laboratory in the government sector in the port city to diagnose viral diseases like chikungunya.
As per statistics released by the Health Department of Sindh, a total of 2,481 suspected chikungunya cases have been reported across the city in last six months out of which 405 were reported in December 2016 and 461 in January and February, 282 in March and 1,333 in April 2017.
As many as 192 tested positive from the total 231 blood samples sent to the National Institute of Health, Islamabad for investigation. The chikungunya cases are being reported from Saudabad, Liaquatabad, Malir, Orangi, Keamari, Bin Qasim and Lyari Town. The Sindh Health Department, responding to the outbreak of the chikungunya said that initially the cases were reported from the areas of Saudabad and later the virus spread to the entire city through virus-transmitting mosquitoes.
Earlier, a nine-member WHO mission after epidemiological investigation of the outbreak put forward seven recommendations to the health department for effective management of the chikungunya threat.
The mission gave the following recommendations: effective and integrated vector control intervention, including fumigation and larvicidal activity, stringent steps to improve environmental conditions (garbage removal and sanitation), establishment of well-equipped laboratories with skilled human resource and report sharing mechanism, involvement of community, including influential people for creating awareness about the disease, dissemination of right messages through the mass media for public awareness and training of media personnel for delivering right health messages.
The Sindh Health Department Sindh has nominated Dr Masood Ahmed Solangi, Programme Manager, Prevention and Control Programme for Dengue in Sindh as focal person for all matters related to control and prevention of chikungunya disease all over Sindh.
In a related development on Saturday, an important meeting to review the chikungunya spread in Karachi was held under supervision of Sindh Health Secretary Dr Fazlullah Pechuho at the Sindh Secretariat. It was decided at the meeting that 20,000 rapid chikungunya diagnostic kits would be purchased to detect viral fever cases. Focal person for Chikungunya Control and Prevention Dr Masood Ahmed Solangi, while talking to the media men, said an important meeting to review the chikungunya situation in the city was held where Health Secretary Dr Fazlullah Pechuho directed the officials to purchase 20,000 rapid diagnostic kits to detect chikungunya viral fever cases. He said that a summery in this regard would be sent very soon for approval to get the budget approved for kits. He said that camps would be arranged in Ibrahim Hyderi, Saudabad and other disease-stricken areas to detect the chikungunya cases.
He said that chikungunya viral fever cases could be diagnosed in few seconds once the kits are available.
