New chikungunya cases reported in Port Sudan

The hospital of Port Sudan, capital of Red Sea state, has received a number of fever cases, which a doctor described as symptoms of chikungunya fever.

A medical source from Port Sudan told Radio Dabanga that the port hospital received six cases on Friday. One case was treated, and five other cases were hospitalised.

He explained that all the cases were from the eastern sector of Port Sudan; one from districts of Salabona, three from El Thura, one from El Gadisiya and another from Deim El Nur.

The source described the cases as suffering from joint pain, high fever, complete exhaustion and vomiting, which was confirmed by one of the doctors in the hospital and that the symptoms match the symptoms of chikungunya fever.

He said that residents are concerned of the spread of the disease, especially after the rains, the accumulation of water and the spread of mosquitoes and flies in the past period.

The medic described the cases as limited that can be controlled by combating the carrier, environmental sanitation and launching awareness campaigns among the residents and stressed that ignoring the issue will lead to spread of infection that may be a real problem.

As reported by radio Dabanga yesterday, residents of Port Sudan, capital of eastern Sudan’s Red Sea state, have complained of the spread of flies and mosquitoes due to recent rains. They expressed concern over the emergence and spread of diseases of ophthalmic, malaria, diarrhoea, and typhoid.

Chikungunya is characterised by an abrupt onset of fever, frequently accompanied by joint pain. Most patients recover fully within weeks. Serious complications are not common, but the disease can contribute to the cause of death in malnourished and older people.

Dengue fever

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed in a report that laboratory tests of samples from infected people in Kassala state show cases of dengue fever along with chikungunya.

The dengue virus is carried by the same mosquitoes that carry chikungunya. The infection causes a flu-like illness, and occasionally develops into a potentially lethal complication called severe dengue (also known as Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever).

The Kassala state Ministry of Health reported that the total number of people infected with chikungunya fever was 15,944 cases until Thursday.

The residents of the eastern Sudanese state complained about a ‘terrible deterioration in health services’. They pointed out that the peripheral health centres are also experiencing overcrowding of patients.