PANJIM, SEPT 15
Health officials said the chikungunya virus that has struck this year causing a major outbreak in Quepem and minor ones in Siolim, Candolim and Canacona was milder than the one experienced in 2006.
They said in 2006, many patients from Chimbel, Sada (Vasco), Moti Dongor (Margao) and a few other places had to be in hospitals for two to three months with swellings in joints. Some of the patients developed bending posture because of pain in the chest, they mentioned.
In 2006, the country was in the grip of chikungunya fever. Eleven positive cases were discovered in Chimbel after the Defence Research Development Establishment, Gwalior, tested 21 samples.
In that year a total number of 13,903,22 suspected cases were reported from all over the country.
The officials said virulence was more in 2006 and comparatively in 2009, symptoms of the disease have been on the milder side in the State.
Chikungunya starts suddenly with fever, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, joint pain and rash.
4 dengue cases detected
Out of the 20 samples sent to the Microbiology Department for testing for dengue, four came positive. The four cases are isolated and spread across Panjim (1), Santa Cruz (2) and Aldona (1).
So far, since January 2009 a total of 756 samples were tested for dengue out of which 49 tested positive for the disease.
