Chikungunya Virus Infection in Pakistan (Update)
28 Apr 2017
On 25 April 2017, WHO reported
a total of 1962 cases of chikungunya virus infection in Balochistan province where it has been reported for the first time.
Pakistan’s first-ever cases of chikungunya were reported in December 2016 in Karachi city in Sindh province. Between 19 December 2016 and 14 April 2017, a total of 1419 suspected cases of chikungunya have been reported in various districts in Karachi. No deaths have been reported so far.
Advice for Travellers
No vaccine is available against Chikungunya. Avoidance of mosquito bites is the only reliable means of prevention. Methods of bite avoidance include:
- Wearing long, loose, lightly coloured clothing to cover up the skin.
- The use of insect repellant containing DEETÂ applied to any exposed skin.
- The use of permethrin, impregnated mosquito nets.
- The use of air conditioning if available and/or mesh screening of windows and doors.
- Eradication of mosquito breeding sites around the home (e.g. open containers, old tyres or flower pots that may collect water).