Ahmedabad: Neuro-chikungunya a major worry

AHMEDABAD: Last week a 62-year-old man succumbed to chikungunya owing to neurological and renal complications at a city hospital on the SG highway. This case had the medical fraternity in grips. In fact, this was not the first.
The department of medicine of the NHL Municipal College had reported a case of a 64-year-old man back in January this year, who had suffered encephalomyelitis — inflammation of the brain and spinal cord due to acute chikungunya viral infection. The viral infection had affected myelin – the protective covering of nerve fibers. This patient at NHL suffered quadriparesis — a condition characterized by weakness in all four limbs (both arms and both legs) and urinary retention.

The doctors analysing the elderly patient at NHL concluded in their study that the elderly patient had fever for 8 days, multiple joint pain, and generalised rash. With these the patient also reported acute onset of sensorimotor quadriparesis. He was treated with five doses of intravenous immunoglobulin along with supportive care.



Even after the medical intervention he showed partial recovery. “One such typical case has been reported in West Bengal too,” says a senior doctor at VS hospital. He added, “The government should take an initiative to screen Chikungunya cases for neurological disorders. It may have far reaching consequences,” the doctor said.

This typical case was investigated by a team of doctors lead by Dr Kaushalendra Tripathi, Dr Harsh Khatri, Dr Heli Shah and Dr Dhara Roy of NHL Municipal Medical College. According to the report the elderly man was diabetic had hypothyroidism and ocular myasthenia gravis for three years and had come for a the OPD visit at VS general hospital.

Usually direct viral forms of neuro-chikungunya may occur in infants and elderly patients. Such clinical reports will help identify future neuro-chikungunya cases and to improve outcome especially in autoimmune-mediated conditions.