12 chikungunya deaths in Delhi; centre asks for reports from Delhi government

12 chikungunya deaths in Delhi; centre asks for reports from Delhi government
The death toll due to chikungunya-triggered complications stood at 12 on Wednesday.

Gearing up to tackle the rising cases of chikungunya and dengue, Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra along with BJP parliamentarian from North East Delhi Manoj Tiwari conducted fogging in Sonia Vihar area of Karawal Nagar. Earlier in the day Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain held a review meeting with the officials of all the civic bodies and health departments, saying : ‘We are not satisfied with the fogging supposed to have been done by the North, South and East municipal corporations. There was a need to carry out fogging in the whole of Delhi.’  Stating that there was no need to panic, Jain stated that the Delhi government hospitals are fully capable of providing proper treatment to the patients. The Lt. Governor also urged all stakeholders to make all-out efforts to check dengue and chikungunya cases.‘I appeal to all to rise above political considerations and fight the menace unitedly. Historically, in emergencies, people have come together and fought. That is what is required now,’ he said. The Delhi Government asserted in the High Court that fewer number of dengue and chikungunya cases were reported in the national capital this year compared to last year. According to hospitals, the patients were also suffering from diabetes and kidney ailments. (Read: Chikungunya test and diagnosis – everything you need to know)

Municipal Corporation data said the number of dengue, chikungunya and malaria infections stands at 1,158, 1,057 and 21 respectively. According to the civic bodies, the highest dengue cases were reported in 2015 with a total of 15,876 people infected by the vector-borne disease with 60 deaths. Health experts have said there are more chances for the elderly to succumb to chikungunya due to their low immunity levels. Terming the process as Trigger Mechanism, experts — treating chikungunya, dengue and malaria patients, also categorically stated that no one dies of chikungunya, but if a person has a history of a chronic disease then it may get aggravated or reactivated by the chikungunya virus, leading to death. ‘It’s all about the immunity level. Though chikungunya cannot kill someone it can trigger the problems of an old chronic disease. In case an elderly patient suffering from kidney or cardiac disease gets chikungunya, then there are chances of the kidney and the cardiac disease to become severe, leading to death, as immunity level is very low then,’ Sumit Ray, who heads the critical care unit at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, told IANS. (Read: Chikungunya fever – how is it different from dengue fever and malaria?)

Source: IANS

Image source: Shutterstock

Disclaimer: TheHealthSite.com does not guarantee any specific results as a result of the procedures mentioned here and the results may vary from person to person. The topics in these pages including text, graphics, videos and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only and not to be substituted for professional medical advice.

Previous Article

New potential treatment for obesity identified

Next Article

Remedial steps against malnutrition urgently required in Maharashtra, says Governor