State to check for virus mutation amid chikungunya surge

Mumbai: Considering the nearly 55% rise in chikungunya viral fever cases this year compared to last year, the health department has decided to conduct genomic sequencing of some positive samples to check for any genetic mutation in the virus.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, state health officials also clarified that so-called new symptoms such as hyperpigmentation and neurological problems (swelling in the brain or heart tissues) were not new but are extremely rare.
"These symptoms could occur when the chikungunya patient has a co-infection of dengue or Japanese encephalitis," said joint director (vector control programme) Dr Mahendra Jagtap.
These symptoms have also been mentioned in the guidelines published by the Centre last year.
The state has also set up a rapid action team to study the causes for the increase in chikungunya cases from 1,702 cases in 2023 to 2,643 in 2024 so far. In Greater Mumbai, too, chikungunya cases have risen from double digits to 256 till September 7.
The rapid action team, which met for the first time a few days ago, has issued guidelines for civic- and taluka-level officials regarding samples to be sent to both the National Institute of Virology and B J Medical College in Pune for further analysis.
As per the guidelines, two blood samples of patients who show neurological symptoms such as paralysis and hyperpigmentation (black spots on the skin, especially around the mouth or nose) should be collected and sent to the Pune institutes. "The aim is to look for any other neurotropic virus in the chikungunya patient and to conduct genomic sequencing," said a senior state official.
Dr Rajesh Karyakarte from B J Medical College said that genomic sequencing would help us determine if there are any mutations. "We can start the sequencing as soon as we get adequate samples, especially from patients who are in the intensive care unit or have severe symptoms," he said.
Doctors in the city's private sector hospitals said that chikungunya cases had shot up considerably this year, with some patients needing hospitalisation to manage their high fever for 10 to 15 days as well as neurological complications. Children, too, have emerged as an affected group this year; an eight-month-old boy was admitted to SRCC Children's Hospital in Haji Ali in the first week of August. In Surya Children's Hospital in Santa Cruz, paediatrician Dr Bhupendra Avasthi said that children born to chikungunya-positive mothers have hyperpigmentation as a symptom. "However, hyperpigmentation is a well-documented symptom of chikungunya," he said.