Berhampur: Chickungunya was suspected to have resurfaced in the natural calamity-hit Ganjam district of Odisha with reports of several people in Mallikeswara village afflicted by the mosquito-borne viral disease.
A team of doctors led by the district malaria officer (DLO) along with the para-medical staff went to the affected village in Khallikote block to provide treatment as well as to collect the blood samples to conform about the disease.
The clinical symptoms indicated that the disease may be chickungunya, but it could be confirmed only after laboratory test, doctors said today.
We have collected 38 blood samples from the affected village on Friday. All of them, however tested negative to malaria, said District Malaria Officer US Mishra.
Now we will send the samples for chickungunya test, he added.
After cyclone Phailin last month some of the villagers were suffering from fever. The villagers panicked as at least two persons died recently.
The death of the two persons, however, was not related to the disease. The deceased were old and succumbed due to some other reasons, said the malaria officer.
He said the situation in the village was under control and no new case was reported yesterday. At least 15 cases were reported on Friday.
We are conducting door-to-door survey in the village and collecting blood samples from the suspected cases, he said. The village has around 125 households.
The main reason for spread of chikungunya, malaria, dengue and Japanese Encephalitis was water stagnation, in which larva originates and spreads infection, said a medical officer of the social medicine department, MKCG Medical College and Hospital here.
