State records highest number of Chikungunya cases in five years

Shweta TripathiChennai: At least 345 confirmed cases of Chikungunya were recorded till November this year in the State, while it was only around 158 cases in 2018, 113 and 86 in 2017 and 2016 respectively. Even in 2015, there were around 329 cases of Chikungunya when many other States across the country reported an outbreak.

As per the data provided by the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme of the National Centre for Disease Control, many districts including Salem, Ramanathapuram, Madurai, Erode, Pudukottai, Tiruchy and Dharmapuri recorded outbreaks throughout the year. Salem recorded more than 100 cases this year, while Tiruppur, Erode, Ramanathapuram and Madurai also recorded more than 80 cases each. In Chennai, there were less than 50 cases so far and there has been no outbreak.

All the 345 samples reported in the State that were suspected of Chikungunya was tested positive for Igm Elisa-Chikungunya. Though State Health Department officials claimed to have conducted entomological survey for checking the presence of Aedes larva earlier this year, the source reduction activities did not seem to be effective. The survey had confirmed the presence of the larva in various parts of the State.

Despite the claims of all preventive measures against Chikungunya post the survey, the surge in the number of cases of Chikungunya remains uncontrolled. The officials from the Directorate of Public Health also said that the State Health Department have undertaken anti-larval activities in the districts with high number of cases along with the civic authorities in the district. However, officials clarified that the numbers have reduced in past few months. “There have been only about 100 cases of Chikungunya reported in past six months. The rise in the cases were recorded at a high rate only in first four months of the year and cases have reduced now. The outbreaks are in control in all the districts,” said public health director, Dr K Kolandaisamy.