Despite not being a lethal disease, chikungunya persists in those countries where dengue is present because the vector of both diseases is the same mosquito. The main symptom of chikungunya is high grade fever along with severe joint pain. Prevention and control of the disease is essential to save people from the morbidity.
These views were expressed by public health experts during a meeting chaired by the Punjab Minister for Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Kh Salman Rafique to discuss the strategy for the prevention and treatment of chikungunya at the Civil Secretariat on Wednesday.
Services Institute of Medical Sciences Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases Dr Sobia Qazi, Punjab Chief Bacteriologist Prof Zarfashan Tahir, Institute of Public Health’s Prof Anjum Razzaq, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences’ Dr. Tahir Yaqoob, and Additional Secretaries (Technical) from Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education, and Primary and Secondary Health Dr Salman Shahid and Dr Asim also attended the meeting.
According to Dr Sobia Qazi, chikungunya is very similar to dengue and the symptoms of both the diseases are almost the same. “However, patients of chikungunya also feel severe joint pain which can last for many weeks, and in some cases, for many months,” she said.
The experts were of the view that if dengue prevention and vector surveillance were be carried out vigorously, control of both diseases would be more effective because the same mosquito is responsible for the spread of both dengue and chikungunya.
Kh Salman Rafique directed that a working group consisting of technical experts should be immediately constituted to make recommendations in this regard. He directed the group to present its recommendations within a week.
