Daily Times

KARACHI: The Chikungunya viral fever continued to affect citizens in different parts of Karachi and now the viral fever cases are being reported from Orangi Town, a health official confirmed on Thursday.

Karachi Director Health Services Dr Abdul Wahid Panhwar, while talking to media, confirmed the presence of Chikungunya viral fever cases in UC-15 of Orangi Town Karachi following Saudabad and Lyari. He said these cases were reported in Urban Health Center (UHC) Orangi Town.

He informed although the intensity of Chikungunya viral fever was low in both Lyari and Orangi as compared to Saudabad, but efforts were under way to fully control the spread of viral fever in the whole city. He said the Health Services Department of Karachi has decided to launch a vector control strategy in Karachi in the light of expert opinion of entomologists and educationists.

He informed that preparation was under way to launch a comprehensive vector control strategy in the city in order to save citizen from vector-borne diseases in future. He said that the vector control strategy would be launched in collaboration with Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Health Department Government of Sindh, all district administrations and other departments concerned. Dr Panhwar informed a total 637 suspected Chikungunya fever cases have been reported in Karachi since last month out of them 532 cases were reported from Saudabad, 41 from Lyari and 64 from Orangi Town so far.

He informed that blood samples of nine people belonging to Orangi Town were sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, for investigation and out of them six cases were tested positive. He said 29 cases have been tested positive so far out of total 637 reported cases.

Health experts say that Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. It causes fever and severe joint pain. To control this viral disease it is necessary to improve sanitary, especially drainage conditions in the city.