Karnataka has reported a sudden spurt in Chikungunya which is currently estimated to be six lakh cases as against the 2, 47,436 cases reported in June end. The State government has released a total of Rs. 13.4 crore for controlling Chikungunya. Out of this amount Rs. 5 crore is for supply of medicines in the affected districts. The remaining Rs. 8.4 crore will be utilized to equip the 5,400 Panchyats with fogging machines to check the mosquito population growth.

The rampant increase in the number of cases is despite the efforts of the State government having taken adequate steps to prevent the spread of the deadly virus caused due to mosquitoes breeding in fresh water.

The government has confirmed the reports that six lakh people are affected. This is based on the reports which have begun to pour in from across the 27 districts in the state. The disease has also begun to spread not only in rural area but in urban zones. Many employees of the State health department overseeing operation to control Chikungunya had gone on leave because they have been infected. There are also several cases where patients were mistaking viral infections with similar symptoms of Chikungunya, Karnataka minister R Ashok told Pharmabiz.

In the wake of Chikungunya fever taking an epidemic form, health ministers from south India are congregating on July 30 in Bangalore to chalk out an integrated approach to control the disease. The representations are from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry. After the conclave on Chikungunya, a delegation would proceed to New Delhi to insist the Union government to set- up a Research Centre for Communicable Diseases in Bangalore. It has also been decided to seek further financial assistance from the Union government to allocate more funds for the health sector in the budget in the coming years, state the Karnataka health minister.

Senior officials from the Karnataka Directorate of Health and Family Welfare informed that around 5.83 lakh cases are reported and this figure covers patients from all the 27 districts. A month ago it was more than 2.86 lakh reported to have been affected. The health department lab has colleted 4,148 samples from patients showing signs of viral fever and infection. Over 200 of them were tested positive.

"We are aware that Chikungunya is not a life threatening illness. But it is spreading rapidly all over the State. Even neighboring states have reported cases of the illness. To bring the spread of disease under control, we will work out a comprehensive strategy, informed Health Minister Ashok

According to health experts, the mosquito which spreads the illness has to be destroyed. There also has to be a scientific approach to tackle the illness. Though the government doctors and private specialists have been successful in treating the patients, the efforts by health authorities to exterminate the mosquito population has not yielded the desired results.