Chikungunya affects 53,000 people in MP

Bhopal, Oct 11 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh Health Minister Ajay Vishnoi today said more than 53,000 people have been affected by chikungunya across the state.

''Besides, 17 suspected cases of dengue, considered more dangerous than chikungunya, had been reported so far,'' Mr Vishnoi, who returned from New Delhi where he attended a meeting of health ministers of affected states chaired by Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, told reporters here.

Giving viewpoint of WHO expert Salim, who was present at the meeting, Mr Vishnoi asserted that chikungunya was not fatal.

However, as per reports provided at the meeting, 52 people had died of dengue with Delhi accounting for 22 deaths.

He informed that 43,000 chikungunya cases had been reported from Chhindwara, Betul, Burhanpur and Barwani, while 10,000 cases were from 18 districts. No chikungunya case had been detected in rest 26 districts.

Besides precautionary measure to check the diseases, an action-plan was being chalked out to contain the diseases at the outset.

The Health Minister said the state government sought Rs 50 crore from the Centre to control the disease of which it released Rs one crore immediately besides providing Rs 25 lakh for purchase of 50 fogging machine -- to be used to destroy larvae and mosquitoes.

On reported deaths of some patients due to dengue in the state capital and regarding others being affected, he said no officially confirmed case of dengue had come to knowledge thus far.

He said the government had demanded setting up of a modern laboratory to examine dengue and other diseases in the state capital on the lines of laboratories in Pune and New Delhi.

He pointed out that Bhopal was an ideal location being centrally located in the country and thus accessible from other parts.

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