Chikungunya Epidemic in the Maldives but officials are denying :: Maldives News :: Dhivehi Observer

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Chikungunya Epidemic in the Maldives but officials are denying

Mariyam Mohamed, Dhivehi Observer, 23 December 2006

Chikungunya, a relatively rare form of viral fever is spreading very fast in the Maldives. Heavy rains in the last couple of months had contributed to the problem. Diseases ranging from 'ordinary' to Chikungunya and even Dengue fever have been reported. Despite the alarming number of cases with symptoms relating to Chikungunya, the department of public health and the Health Ministry are playing it down as usual.

"How far does it have to go before they realise the seriousness of the matter?" many are asking now. Hospitals and health post are packed across the country. IGMH Hospital in Male' is so full that they are not admitting any more patients. Cases of death also been reported recently in Male' and in some Atolls.

Last month local daily "Minivan" contacted a department of Public Health (DPH) official to inquire about the chikungunya outbreak. The official denied it on the spot saying that "a fever called chikungunya is not in the country". However days later, health officials confirm Chikungunya saying that "There is reason to believe that Chikungunya had made its way to Maldives."

In India, Andhra Pradesh saw a huge outbreak recently which spread to neighbouring states. As of September 2006, after the flood and heavy rains in Rajasthan in August 2006, thousands of cases have been detected in Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Udaipur, and Chittorgarh districts and also in adjoining regions of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. As of October 12, 2006 in the southern Indian state of Kerala, 125 deaths are attributed to Chikungunya and majority of the casualties were reported in the district of Alapuzha [mainly in Cherthala Taluk]. This latest outbreak in Alappuzha is supposed to have transferred from Parassala, the southernmost point of Kerala state where a recent outbreak was reported before the episodes of Alappuzha started. Kerala government has termed this as an epidemic outbreak, whereas the Tamil Nadu government has denied that the deaths caused in the state were due to Chikungunya.

Chikungunya is generally not fatal. However, in 2005-2006, 200 deaths have been associated with chikungunya on Reunion island and a widespread outbreak in India (especially in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh). The European Network for Diagnostics of "Imported" Viral Diseases (ENIVD) claims new phylogenetic variants of virus which are fatal have been identified on Reunion.

Wonder how many more lives will be lost before the 'Demented One' will take the necessary actions to control this epidemic. Some local political analysts believe that the denying is largely to do with the tourism industry. "Golhaabo does not want the tourists to be alarmed about this and that is why he is playing it down. He does not care about our health, he only cares about the tourist dollar." said Ahmed, from Male'.

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