Woman tests positive for Chikungunya

Kathmandu, September 26

A woman aged 30 has been diagnosed as infected by the Chikungunya virus.

She is being treated in Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Teku. It was a case from Meboli, Chitwan.

According to Dr Anup Bastola, consultant in Tropical Medicine as well as a Dermatologist at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, “The patient had been suffering from fever, headache, Myalgia (muscle pain), Arthralgia (joint pain) and retro-trochanteric pain.

“Lab tests confirmed that the woman was suffering from chikungunya,” said Dr Bastola. He informed that this was the first case of the disease this year even though the hospital has treated cases related to the disease every year.

Chikungunya virus is transmitted by the ‘Aedes Aegypti’ vector through mosquitos. The vector leads to other diseases such as dengue, zika virus, yellow fever and malaria.

“Chikungunya virus is found in the Tarai area and though no case of this viral infection has occurred in Kathmandu Valley, this virus could appear in Kathmandu via the means of transportation. It could also have been transferred from India.”