Rise in travellers with Chikungunya virus reported

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

LONDON, Sep 13 (Reuters) Cases of the mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus in people returning to Britain from islands in the Indian Ocean have risen dramatically, public health experts said today.

More than 115 travellers have shown symptoms of the illness, which causes a high fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and muscle and joint pain, so far this year, compared to an average of about six cases annually.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA), which monitors infectious diseases, said there has been a rise in cases of the illness in the Indian Ocean islands, particularly Reunion.

Sir William Stewart, the chairman of the HPA, told its annual conference in Coventry that cases in mainland India are also increasing.

''Therefore it is important that travellers to the region follow the usual health advice on how to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes and other insects,'' he said in a statement.

French Health Minister Xavier Bertrand said on Monday that a drug to fight the disease, which was first identified in Tanzania in 1952, could be ready by the end of the year.

Bertrand added that French and Americans authorities have agreed to work on a vaccine that protects against the virus.

The incubation period for the illness can be 2-12 days.

Acute fever can last a couple of weeks. Some patients report debilitating joint pain which can continue for weeks or months.

Treatment consists of rest, drinking fluids and painkillers, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States.

REUTERS VJ RAI0503

For Daily Alerts
Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X
X