The Karnataka health department has confirmed 947 cases of Chikungunya out of the suspected 8,941. The state accounts for nearly one-third of the Chikungunya cases reported this year across the country. Prakash Kumar, deputy director, state health department told the dna that Tumkur district is the worst hit where 163 Chikungunya cases have been confirmed. This is followed by Bengaluru (137), Mysuru (113) and several other districts.
Kumar said that the reason for the high number of suspected and confirmed Chikungunya cases in Karnataka is due to the state-wide surveillance system.
"We are offering free-of-cost Chikungunya testing facilities at our district surveillance laboratories where we even take samples from the private hospitals," Kumar said.
However, the health experts in Karnataka say that the number of Chikungunya patients in Karnataka may be much higher than the official figures. This is primarily because the results of the blood serology tests for Chikungunya come usually after 1-1.5 months.
"By the time a blood serology test confirms the Chikungunya disease, the patient is already recovering from most of the symptoms," Dr Bhanu Rekha, Consultant, Internal Medicine, Columbia Asia Hospital, Whitefield, Bengaluru told the dna.
Doctors also say that the rapid diagnostic test kits being offered by many private pharmaceutical companies are priced between Rs 3,500- Rs 4,500, which is unaffordable for many patients.
A public health official said that many Chikungunya cases in private and government hospitals of Karnataka are often misdiagnosed due to poor screening facilities.
"The exorbitant prices of these Chikungunya testing kits makes them unaffordable and also leads to underreporting of Chikungunya cases. The actual figures may be much higher," the official said.
Nevertheless, there has been an increasing demand of the rapid Chikungunya diagnostic tests in the state.
An official from the Bhat Bio-Tech India, Bengaluru which manufactures diagnostic kits for Chikungunya priced at Rs 3,500 and higher said that in the past several months, the demand for these kits has only increased.
Experts believe that the price-capping of the test kits by the Karnataka government may lead to wider availability of the rapid Chikungunya diagnostic kits and hence better surveillance.
The claims of free-of-cost blood tests across government facilities in the state were refuted by many patients who showed Chikungunya-like symptoms.
"There are no free tests available. Even BPL patients are being charged 50 per cent of the actual price for dengue and Chikungunya tests," Maheshwari, a Chikungunya suspect who went for screening at a state-run hospital in Bengaluru said.
Even as the rising number of deaths due to Chikungunya in the national capital has already caused alarm, the medicos advise patients not to panic as Chikungunya, is a self-limiting disease.
"Chikungunya is definitely not a fatal condition. Like any other viral infection, the symptoms may persist for some time, but the patient recovers after that. It is a debilitating disorder and can cause severe muscle joint aches. The patients who die after testing positive for Chikungunya generally have an underlying condition," Dr Bhanu said.
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