KARACHI: Doctors are warning against the fast increasing threat of Chikungunya virus and recommending people to take strict precautionary measures to keep the disease at bay.
Expert Dr Tahira Abdul Latif gave a detailed account of the causes, symptoms, preventive measures and treatment methods of the disease.
She said that the viral disease Chikungunya spread among humans by the bite of infected Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes, further informing that Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) was a member of the genus Alphavirus, in the family of Togaviridae.
Symptoms of Chikungunya include debilitating arthralgia (pain in joints), swelling of joints, stiffness of joints, myalgia (muscular pain), headaches, fatigue (weakness), nausea, vomiting and fever. The incubation period (time from infection to illness) can be between two and 12 days but is usually between three and seven days. Silent CHIKV infections (infections without illness) also occur, the doctor informed.
Acute chikungunya fever typically lasts from a few days to a couple of weeks, but some patients may have prolonged fatigue lasting several weeks. Furthermore, several patients have reported incapacitating joint pains, or arthritis, which may last for weeks or months. However, so far, no deaths, neuroinvasive cases, or hemorrhagic cases due to CHIKV infection have been conclusively documented in the scientific literature.
Dr Tahira further revealed that the disease is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on a person infected with CHIKV. Monkeys, and possibly other wild animals, may also serve as reservoirs of the virus. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to other humans when they bite.
Aedes aegypti (the yellow fever mosquito), which breeds in household containers and is an aggressive biter by daytime, is attracted to humans and constitutes the primary transmitter of CHIKV to humans. Aedes albopictus (the Asian tiger mosquito) may also play a role in human transmission in Asia, and various forest-dwelling mosquito species in Africa have been found to be infected with the virus.
The doctor said that homoeopathy has been found to be an effective treatment of Chikungunya. After the diagnosis of Chikungunya, homoeopathic treatment should be started as early as possible.
She said that homoeopathic treatment can be complemented by conventional treatment if desired. Conventional treatment consists of only symptomatic treatment of fever, like stiffness and pain of joints, whereas homoeopathic treatment gives better and long lasting relief from the disease. An effective remedy can be chosen by a homoeopathic doctor according to the clinical picture of that particular case.
She further said that homoeopathy worked effectively against all viral diseases, adding that homoeopathic pills are simply chewed (dissolved) on the tongue and are sweet in taste. Homeopathic medicines do not cause gastric irritation, are safe on kidneys and liver even when taken for a long duration.
Dr Tahira said that it was necessary to use mosquito repellents on exposed skin for prevention of Chikungunya, adding that it was recommended to wear long-sleeved shirts and pants, having secure screens on windows and doors, and emptying containers of standing water, including flower pots, buckets and barrels. She said that water in pets’ dishes and birdbaths should be replaced every week, while holes should be drilled in tire swings to keep water from collecting in them.
Lastly, she strongly urged that a person infected with Chikungunya should try to remain as safe as possible from more mosquito bites, in order that the disease does not spread further because of him. The person should stay indoors or under a mosquito net, she said.
