Chikungunya breaks out in epidemic form

With a rise in the number of patients, the viral disease Chikungunya has broken out in epidemic form in the capital. The Health Ministry delayed taking precautionary steps against the disease, alleged health experts.
The Directorate of Health Services is yet to release any statistics regarding the number of Chikungunya patients. The Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control & Research (IEDCR) is collecting information over cell phone, but that may not give an accurate picture.
The Aedes mosquito is the primary agent of spreading Chikungunya and the symptoms were noticed last December. The number of Chikungunya patients was increasing since April, mostly among children and the elderly.
Md Rafiqul Islam, who runs a garage in Agargaon of the city, has kept his garage closed as he was suffering from Chikungunya.