Telangana News: Hyderabad Witnesses Rise In Chikungunya Cases Among Children

Telangana News: Hyderabad is witnessing an increase in the number of Chikungunya infections among children, amid the growing concerns of Dengue cases. A doctor in the city has informed that a lot of cases of dengue and Chikungunya have been reported among children in the last two to three weeks. Experts say that symptoms in children are not as severe as in adults.

"We are seeing a lot of cases of Dengue and Chikungunya among children in the last two to three weeks, but in children the symptoms like fever, body aches and joint pains are less intense," Dr Shivaranjani Santosh said, as quoted by Times of India.

"However, the majority of cases of high fever are either Dengue or Chikungunya. We are also seeing some cases of hand, foot and mouth disease," the doctor added.

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"Although we do not test for Dengue and Chikungunya in all suspected cases, the clinical diagnosis is one of the two in the majority of cases. Since we can only treat symptoms in both cases, there's no need for confirmatory testing. Children also show improvement in three to seven days," a doctor at the government-run Niloufer Hospital said.

Experts said that there are cases of viral or seasonal flu as well but they are in less number as compared to Dengue and Chikungunya infections.

Amid reports of a spike in dengue cases in the state, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka last week urged the government to declare it an "emergency situation", and to make testing free. The BJP leader also stressed the need to set up a task force in every taluk and a control room, among other measures to monitor and to control the dengue spread.

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"Dengue cases are on a rise in the state since January, two children have died due to Dengue and there are reports of three to four deaths due to Dengue every day and it is painful. There is fear among people across the state, but the government is not afraid yet," Ashoka said.

He also stressed the need for cleanliness, mobilisation of ASHA and Anganwadi workers to keep a house-to-house check on those with Dengue symptoms, setting up separate wards at hospitals for dengue cases, fogging to control mosquitos and to create awareness and assurance among the people who were panicking about the situation.