Acta Medica Medianae
Vol. 50, No 1, March, 2011
UDK 61
ISSN 0365-4478(Printed version)
ISSN 1821-2794(Online)
 

Correspondence to:

Marimuthu Karthikeyan

Department of Pharmacology

Al Shifa College of Pharmacy

Poonthavanam, Kizhattur

Perintalmanna, Malappuram, India

E-mail: karthikeyanpgt@gmail.com

Original article
UDC: 578.7(540)

DOI: 10.5633/amm.2011.0103

A Study on Chikungunya cases in Palakkad, India

Marimuthu Karthikeyan¹ and Meenakshi K. Deepa²

Department of Pharmacology, Al Shifa College of Pharmacy, Poonthavanam, Kizhattur (PO), Perintalmanna, Malappuram District, Kerala State, India¹

Department of Pharmaceutics, Nehru College of Pharmacy, Pambady,Triruvilwamala, Thrissur District, Kerala State, India² 

A study was done on Chikungunya in the Kalpathy village, Palakkad which was moderately affected. The aim of the survey was to understand the nature and magnitude of the Chikungunya fever, the clinical signs and symptoms.

A total number of 107 cases was surveyed door to door at six different localities in the Kalpathy village of the Palakkad district. The patient history, clinical signs and symptoms of the Chikungunya cases were recorded. The signs and symptoms recorded were fever, chills, arthalgia, eye pain, headache, edema, rash, oral ulcers, itch, myalgia, sore throat, distaste, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, neck pain, hypotension, dermatitis, dizziness and hyperpigmentation.

The major symtopms were fever (100%), arthralgia (85.04%),vomiting (32.71%) edema (30.84%), myalgia (28.97%) and chills (28.03%). Significant differences were observed in the following symptoms, like eye pain (6.54%), back pain (20.56%), headache (19.62%), rash (13.08%), oral ulcer (1.82%), itch (14.01%), hyper- pigmentation (1.89%), sore throat (9.34%), distaste (16.84%), backache (20.56%) diarrhoea (2.82%) and dizziness (3.73%). Chikungunya more severely affected the age group >35 years and the above mentioned symptoms were less commonly seen in the age group <30 years compared to the above age group.

Chikugunya was found to be the major vector-borne disease in the Kerala state. The major clinical symptoms in affected cases were fever, chill, myalgia, vomiting ,edema and arthralgia. Edema, myalgia and artralgia were prolonged (>6 months). Acta Medica Medianae 2011;50(1):17-21.

Keys words: Chikugunya, symptoms, Palakkad, India