22 of 66 new Chikungunya cases reported in District Malir

At least 66 new cases of the Chikungunya viral fever have been detected in Karachi within a span of six days, with 22 of them being reported in District Malir, as per a report released by the Sindh Health Department on Wednesday.

According to the report, 66 more cases of the vector-borne ailment of Chikungunya surfaced from June 12 to 17 in Karachi, taking the patients toll to 3,190 in the metropolitan this year.  It said 22 cases were reported from Malir, two from District East and 42 from District West.

Out of the 298 samples tested for disease diagnosis at the National Institute of Health Islamabad, 246 were found positive for Chikungunya, the report added.  Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne, non-lethal viral disease caused by a species of mosquitoes called Aedes aegypti, which also carry the dengue and zika viruses. According to experts, the chikungunya virus causes fever and severe joint pain, while other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rashes.

A nine-member delegation of the World Health Organisation also visited Karachi in May this year to help health authorities prevent the Chikungunya disease from spreading in the metropolis..