PAKISTAN, particularly Karachi, has been grappling with a significant surge in chikungunya cases since May, with more or less all hospitals receiving a number of infected patients daily.

Unfortunately, the outbreak is part of a broader increase in arboviral diseases, including malaria and dengue, linked to rising temperatures.

Chikungunya, a virus primarily affecting tropical and subtropical regions, has become a serious public health concern, causing severe morbidity in affected individuals.

It is a mosquito-borne viral disease that spreads through the bite of infected mosquitoes.

If a mosquito carrying the virus bites a person, the virus is transmitted to that person. But if a non-infected mosquito bites an infected person, it acts as a carrier of the virus by sucking it from that person’s bloodstream and transmitting it to others.

Since there is no specific treatment or vaccine available, its management focusses on relieving the symptoms.

Moreover, patients are advised to get plenty of rest, stay hydrated by drinking fluids, and seek symptomatic treatment to manage their condition.

The relevant ministry has issued a national advisory for preventing and controlling chikungunya.

A lot more needs to be done by various government agencies in this regard.

Ahmed Ali
Lahore

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2024