Suspected Chikungunya cases watched

CEBU, Philippines - Health authorities are monitoring several individuals in Cebu City for possible Chikungunya disease.

Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit- 7 chief Rennan Cimafranca said three of them were enrolled in one school.

“We are not saying they got the disease from the school. It’s just that this is what we found as common among them,” Cimafranca explained.

RESU is set to get in touch with the private “college/university” to look into all possible factors that led to these individuals.

Cimafranca refused to give the exact number of individuals being monitored but said it is less than 10.

Chikungunya is similar to measles with patients experiencing rashes, fever, headache, nausea, fatigue, muscle pain, among others.

But the most distinguishing symptom is severe joint pain which the patient suffers from most of the time.

“We will also look into other possible causes nganung na ingon ani. Kay basin diay they live in one or nearby community. These are the things that we need to consider,” he said.

All suspected patients, however, are not admitted in a hospital but are being treated and monitored as outpatients.

A rapid testing has already been done and authorities are waiting for the results to be in.

Chikungunya is viral vector-borne disease, which means its carriers are mosquitoes.

Apart from measles, this disease also shares common signs with another vector-borne disease, dengue. There has been no cure formulated for this disease, however, only supportive medicine is given which means that individual symptoms are being treated depending on the gravity.

According to World Health Organization, the disease occurs in Africa, Asia and the Indian subcontinent and has spread to Europe and America.  (FREEMAN)