Chikungunya outbreak in city worst in last six years

 New Delhi, September 18 

The chikungunya outbreak in the national capital is the worst in the last six years.

According to municipal data, over 1,000 people have been affected by this vector-borne disease till September 10. The last time the number of affected people reached three-figure mark was in 2011.

“In 2011, the total number of cases for chikungunya was 107, 6 (in 2012), 18 (2013), 8 (2014) and 64 last year. No deaths were recorded in these five years," said a civic official.

As per estimates by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) which tabulates the data for vector-borne disease cases in the national capital, on behalf of all the civic bodies here, 1,057 confirmed cases of chikungunya have been reported till September 10.

The National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) has till September 11 put the number for chikungunya affected people at 1,724.

At least 15 deaths due to chikungunya complications have been recorded at various hospitals in the city but the civic bodies have kept the death tally at zero.

Also, the committee set up by the government to review cases of death attributed to dengue and chikungunya complications has "ruled out" chikungunya as the primary cause of fatality and said it was "co-morbid conditions" in its patients which led to their deaths.—PTI