Abstract:
Chikungunya is dengue like disease caused by a group A virus. This
disease was reported in the Sainthamaruthu MOH Division in 2006. In this study 200
families comprise of 885 individuals were studied in this MOH division. Proportion of
population affected by this disease was estimated. Duration that an individual affected
by this disease, contraction order, means of treatments, use of injections, observed
symptoms were studied. Further associations between demographic factors and
symptoms were also studied.
This study revealed that 89.2% of the population were affected with
Chikungunya (89.2 } 2.1%, P=0.05). In 71.5% of the families, all the family members
were affected with Chikungunya (71.5 } 3.0%, P=O.05) and only in 1.5% of the
families, none of the family members were affected with Chikungunya (1.5 } 0.8%,
P=0.05). Females were affected significantly more than males (P= 0.08). One or less
than one year old children were affected significantly less than any other age group. It
was found that in average, an individual suffered by this disease for 50.9 days
(50.9 }3.6, P = 0.05) and it is significantly associated with the age group (P=0.00). It
was also found that there is a significant difference in contract order within a family in
relation to age (P=0.00). All the Chikungunya affected patients had fever and in average
one had fever for 3.9 days. (3.9 } 0.2 days, P=0.05). 11.5 % of the patients were given
injection for pain or severe vomiting. All type of joint pains considered in this study
had significant association with age (P=0.00). 15.1% of the Chikungunya patients had
rash on their bodies and this percentage is associated with gender (P=0.00). 1.5 % and
9.3% of the Chikungunya patients had bleeding from Mucosa and Mucosa Ulcer
respectively and this percentages are also associated with gender (P=0.02). 22.7% of
the Chikungunya patients had vomiting and there is an association between gender and
vomiting (P=0.00). 32.5 % of female patients had vomiting and it is only 13.2 % for
males. One male and one female Chikungunya patients were reported death. However
mere is no evidence that the reason for these deaths was Chikungunya.
This emergence of the disease in Sainthamaruthu MOH Division in 2006 made
to realize for the first time that there is no expertise or a standard guideline for the
proper surveillance, clinical case, management, and control and prevention of
Chikungunya fever. Socio-economic burden of the disease had devastated this MOH
Division by affecting a large proportion of the population.
