While official chikungunya figures for the city were not readily available, the state’s numbers show an increase in several districts. As of mid-September, Maharashtra has recorded 1,537 confirmed cases of chikungunya, a nearly 100% increase from last year’s 782 cases (see box). Most of the cases reported are from Nashik, Kolhapur and Nagpur.
Data from Metropolis Lab showed an increasing trend of chikungunya in the city over the past three months. In July, 239 out of 790 samples (tested using three methods) were positive. In August, this number rose to 564 from 1,943 samples. As of 19 September, out of 1,749 test samples, 510 were positive.
State entomologist Dr Mahendra Jagtap said testing is not enough in Mumbai and Thane districts and cases may be under-reported.
Around a dozen private and public hospitals in the city told TOI that they are continuously treating patients with complaints of fever, rashes, headache and nausea. The most defining symptom of Chikungunya is intense joint pain that can last up to a year in older people.
Dr Behram Pardiwala, head of internal medicine at Wockhardt Hospital, has treated around 40 cases in the past six weeks. “Patients have very high fever and joint pain,” he said. Six patients of Chikungunya are admitted to Dr. Gautam Bhansali, a doctor at Bombay Hospital. “These patients have high fever along with other aches and pains. Some people with falling numbers of WBCs need to be hospitalised,” he said.
Dr Anita Mathew, Infectious Disease Specialist at Fortis Hospital said that she has treated 22 Chikungunya patients in the last few months. “There has been an increase this year as compared to the last two years.
A civic official said there was no alarming increase. “We are taking several steps to contain the spread of dengue and it is the same vector that causes chikungunya,” the official said.
Dr Hemlata Arora of Nanavati Hospital said the viral disease, though not life-threatening, can cause debilitating pain, especially in senior citizens, where only two were hospitalized last week. One of them was a 68-year-old man whose existing arthritis was worsened by chikungunya infection. Dr Paritosh Baghel, internal medicine consultant at SL Raheja Hospital, said the pain could be so excruciating that a 27-year-old man was also admitted to the hospital last week.
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