Deadly Chikungunya virus cases escalate in Pakistan

PESHAWAR: After dengue surge in Pakistan, a new deadly viral infection chikungunya has started to escalate significantly in the last few weeks.

Following reports of instances in Peshawar and Mansehra, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Health Department has released an official advise to stop the viral infection chikungunya from spreading.

All district health officers (DHOs), medical superintendents (MS), and medical teaching institutes (MTIs) have received the alert, which was released on Wednesday.

The public has been alerted by the health department to the dangers of chikungunya, which is spread by mosquito bites.

DHOs, MS, and MTIs have been directed to take the appropriate actions to control the illness in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control’s guidelines from the National Institutes of Health. Given the reported chikungunya cases in Peshawar and Mansehra, the advisory places a strong emphasis on taking preventive measures.

Contact tracing must be done to find and evaluate additional potentially affected people in order to effectively monitor chikungunya patients.

In order to inform the public about the disease and how to prevent it, the appropriate authorities have also been instructed to start awareness programs.

Additionally, the recommendation calls on social organizations, environmental agencies, and all tehsil municipal administrations to work together in implementing preventive measures. Healthcare facilities and medical education institutions have been directed to make the required arrangements for managing the illness.