Deaths possible in Chikungunya : WHO

While Delhi Health Minister says that deaths not possible in case of Chikungunya, WHO has something else to tell : 

Most patients recover fully, but in some cases joint pain may persist for several months, or even years. Occasional cases of eye, neurological and heart complications have been reported, as well as gastrointestinal complaints. Serious complications are not common, but in older people, the disease can contribute to the cause of death. Often symptoms in infected individuals are mild and the infection may go unrecognized, or be misdiagnosed in areas where dengue occurs.

In December 2013, France reported 2 laboratory-confirmed autochthonous cases in the French part of the Caribbean island of St Martin. Since then, local transmission has been confirmed in over 43 countries and territories in the WHO Region of the Americas. This is the first documented outbreak of chikungunya with autochthonous transmission in the Americas. As of April 2015, over 1 379 788 suspected cases of Chikungunya have been recorded in the Caribbean islands, Latin American countries, and the United States of America. 191 deaths have also been attributed to this disease during the same period. Canada, Mexico and USA have also recorded imported cases.

with thanks : WHO
www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs327/en/


B S Vohra
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