KARACHI: At least 67 people have fallen victim to Chikungunya in Karachi since Sept 1, KMC Director Health Dr Mohammed Taufiq said on Monday.
Addressing a press conference, Dr Taufiq said that at least 3,462 suspected cases of Chikungunya had emerged in the city since January, raising fears for the spread of the deadly virus. He added that the issue of cleanliness has been raised before the Karachi Municipal Corporation several times .
Dr Taufiq said that one mosquito acts as a vector for all three; Malaria, Dengue and Chikungunya.
He said that the disease is not an endemic yet but precautionary measures are necessary such as use of nets.
The disease is spread through mosquitoes and characterised by severe muscle/joint pain, nausea, headache, fatigue and also body rash.
The symptoms are similar to dengue and malaria and can be misdiagnosed.
The disease takes from few days to weeks to fade away and in most cases patients have chances of complete recovery.