THE PREVALENCE OF CHIKUNGUNYA ARBOVIRAL INFECTION IN AND AROUND BELLARY DISTRICT, KARNATAKA

BACKGROUND: An arbovirus is one that multiplies in a blood sucking arthropod and is transmitted by the bite to a vertebrate host. Chikungunya fever is a crippling disease caused by an arbovirus transmitted to human through mosquitoes. The sudden onset of very high fever along with rash and severe arthralgia are main symptoms. High morbidity with severe arthralgia persisted for several months made the people both physically and mentally weak. OBJECTIVES: To know the prevalence of chikungunya arboviral infection in and around Bellary district. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The laboratory records of clinically suspected chikungunya patients from January 2009 to December 2011 analyzed retrospectively and results of Ig M anti chikungunya antibodies tested by Ig M capture enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (Mac ELISA). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A total of 1386 chikungunya suspected serum samples were analyzed, out of which 343 (24.75%) samples were fond positive for chikungunya virus infection. Maximum number of positive cases was seen in 2010 (28.40%). The present study emphasizes the continuous sero-epidemiological surveillance for the effective chikungunya arboviral infection control programme.