Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Measures against chikungunya

Staff Reporter

CHENNAI : Doctors from South Chennai participated in a panel discussion held at Public Health Centre in West Mambalam on chikungunya, a viral infection spread by the Aedes mosquito. The panel suggested preventive measures such as using insect repellent containing DEET. The doctors noted that no vaccine or specific anti-viral treatment was available for this fever. Neither are there preventive drugs. By wearing long sleeved dresses and trousers, mosquito bites can be prevented.

Infected people generally suffer from high fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, rashes and joint pain. To minimise or cure fever, Paracetamol drug can be given. Steroids are used selectively.

The patient may later develop reactive complications such as arthritis and the condition must be treated as it is. During acute stages of illness, aspirin should be avoided. Infected persons should be protected from further mosquito exposure. They can be made to stay indoors or under a mosquito net during the first few days of illness so that they cannot contribute to the transmission cycle.

The panel discussions was moderated by doctors Sailapathy, Ramkumar Viswanthan, S. Chandrasekar, C.R. Venkataraman and V. Ramamurthy.

Novonordisk sponsored the meeting and M.K. Srinivasan, Medical Director of the PHC, presided over the meting.

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