Chikungunya: Delhi toll mounts to 5, over 12K cases in country

New Delhi, Sep 13 (PTI) Chikungunya is taking its toll inDelhi and a few other cities across the country, with at leastfive deaths due to the vector-borne disease reported in thelast two days, including a fatality today in the nationalcapital where its number of cases have climbed to over 1,000. 75-year-old Prakash Kalra of Mathura died of the diseasethis evening at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here, where three otherelderly men succumbed to it yesterday. "He was brought to our hospital in a very aggressive stageof disease, having suffered kidney failure. He was admittedyesterday in the ICU and his chikungunya RT-PCR test had comepositive," hospital authorities said. Death of a 22-year-old girl from chikungunya at the HinduRao Hospital in the city was also reported today. She had diedon September 1, officials said. According to National Vector Borne Disease ControlProgramme (NVBDCP), around 12,255 cases of chinkungunya havebeen reported across the country till August 31. Karnatakaalone has recorded 8,941, Maharashtra 839 and Andhra Pradesh492. Meanwhile, a senior health ministry official said at thismoment, there is an "outbreak" situation with regard toChikungunya. In what could be the first death due to chikungunya in thenational capital, 65-year-old Ramendra Pandey died yesterday. Pandey, who was referred to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital from aGhaziabad hospital, had succumbed to the disease at thehospital at 4 AM after suffering chikungunya with sepsis. Dr B S Rana, Chairman, Board of Management of Sir GangaRam Hospital, said in all the four deaths which have takenplace, the victims were elderly. "Uday Shanker (61) of Dwarka was admitted on September 11and he died on September 12. His RT-PCR test for chikungunyahad come positive. He had come to our OPD and then admitted. "Ashok Chauhan, 62, from Aligarh also died of chikungunyayesterday. He too was admitted in ICU on September 11 and hisRT-PCR test came positive," hospital authorities said. Doctors say chikungunya is not a life-threatening diseasein general, but in rare cases leads to complications thatprove fatal, especially in children and old persons. Incidentally, Isha of Kabir Nagar area, died at Hindu RaoHospital, one of the biggest municipal hospitals in Delhi, dueto "complications triggered by chikungunya". "She was admitted on August 26 at the hospital. Herchikungunya test had come positive. She died due to cardiacarrest triggered by complications from chikungunya," a seniordoctor at the Hindu Rao Hospital said. Incidentally, one suspected chikungunya death has alsobeen reported at the AIIMS, but hospital authorities are yetto confirm it. According to reports, the "chikungunya death"at the AIIMS took place sometime in September. At AIIMS laboratories, 1,360 chikungunya blood testsamples have tested positive till September 11. PTI KND TDSSMJ