Blood samples confirm Chikungunya virus

by Shanika Sriyananda

The Medical Research Institute (MRI) and University of Kelaniya, which conducted the laboratory tests on Chikungunya fever, have confirmed that the blood samples of patients with viral fever contain Chikungunya virus.

These blood samples were taken from Kalmunai, Mannar and Colombo 15 (Modera). While the laboratory results on Chikungunya fever done by the Indian and Thailand research institutes are pending, the MRI has taken steps to develop the laboratory facilities on the Chikungunya virus last week.

Consultant Epidemiologist Dr. Ananda Amarasinghe, who visited the Kalmunai area said that a massive cleaning program covering Kalmunai North and South, Samanthurai and Saina Madu had been launched last week to destroy the mosquito breeding places in the areas.

According to Dr. Amarasinghe, around 500 to 800 patients with high fever, seek medical treatment at the OPD daily at the Kalmunai Base hospital. " We cannot say that there is an increase in Chikungunya fever in Kalmunai as the same patient, who took medicine earlier comes again, as the fever does not subside even after three days", he said.

Dr. Amarasinghe stressed the need for public assistance to clean their environs to destroy the mosquito breeding places, which spread dengue and Chikungunya fever. "The best advice to a patient with Chikungunya fever is to take plenty of rest and even simple medication such as taking paracetamol will prevent further progression of this fever", he said warning that the public should be more concerned about the deadly dengue fever, which spreads with the present climate compared to Chikungunya, which is milder than dengue.