Chikungunya and Dengue in Kerala

Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted to humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes. Chikungunya virus is a member of the genus Alphavirus, in the family Togaviridae. Chikungunya fever is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., joint swelling), laboratory testing, and the possibility of exposure to infected mosquitoes. There is no specific treatment for chikungunya fever; care is based on symptoms. Chikungunya infection is not usually fatal. Steps to prevent infection with chikungunya virus include use of insect repellent, protective clothing, and staying in areas with screens.

Causes:- Chikungunya virus is indigenous to tropical Africa and Asia, where it is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes, usually of the genus Aedes. CHIK fever epidemics are sustained by human-mosquito-human transmission. The word "chikungunya" is thought to derive from description in local dialect of the contorted posture of patients afflicted with the severe joint pain associated with this disease. The main virus reservoirs are monkeys, but other species can also be affected, including humans.

Prevention:-The most effective means of prevention are those that protect against any contact with the disease-carrying mosquitoes. These include using insect repellents with substances like DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide; also known as N,N'-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide or NNDB), icaridin (also known as picaridin and KBR3023), PMD (p-menthane-3,8-diol, a substance derived from the lemon eucalyptus tree), or IR3535. Wearing bite-proof long sleeves and trousers (pants) also offers protection. In addition, garments can be treated with pyrethroids, a class of insecticides that often has repellent properties. Vaporized pyrethroids (for example in mosquito coils) are also insect repellents. Securing screens on windows and doors will help to keep mosquitoes out of the house. In the case of the day active Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, however, this will only have a limited effect, since many contacts between the vector and the host occur outside. Thus, mosquito control is especially important.

First get rid of those dogs, then Dengue and Chikungunya will go away from Kerala.

Dengue Fever is a Zoonosis, a disease occurring primarily in mammalian animals that can be transmitted to humans. The viruses responsible for this disease survive in nature as infections in animals; human infection is not necessary for their survival. Dengue Fever is an Arboviral infection, the viruses being transmitted by arthropod vectors such as ticks. House dogs and street dogs are the common Animal Reservoir Hosts to these viruses, as almost all of these animals are tick-affected. The recent outbreaks of Dengue Fever in Kerala were exclusively caused by the millions of dogs roaming the streets and in the houses. Otherwise the healthy and clean people of Kerala would not have succumbed this much easily to this disease and this much frequently too. Actually, reports from Kerala indicate that the State has been in the grip of dog-transmitted diseases for long. Hundreds of people there are daily admitted to hospitals following severe group attacks by dogs in the streets.


The recent outbreaks of Dengue Fever rendered health services helpless, claimed hundreds of human lives and incapacitated tens of thousands more. Everyone talked about mosquitoes, stagnant pools, dirty canals and the like, but no one admitted the possibility of these diseases being spread from dogs, lest it would be commented as trivial. With this many dogs on the loose in streets and houses, there may occur yet another outbreak of Dengue and Congo Fevers in Kerala which would be fatal. The health authorities and dog lovers know this but they fear revealing this for fear of retaliation from amorous dog lovers. Chikungunya is a viral disease closely similar to Dengue fever that recently swept through Africa, Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Europe and America. As the African name denotes, it causes a contorted and stooped appearance and may take years and decades for the patient to get a slight relief. Full recovery is never. There is no treatment or vaccine available for this disease. Victims are incapacitated and cannot work or earn a living for many years. The destructing power of this virus is such that it is considered as an ideal agent for future biological weapons and warfare.


Chikungunya is an Arboviral infection which need an animal reservoir host for the virus to survive and thrive in nature. It will need an animal reservoir host or a primate other than men to reside in and multiply for a time. Usually they are monkeys and dogs. Outbreaks of this disease happened very recently and very frequently too. Nothing especially happened in the environmental conditions of the world which was why world health authorities could not predict the coming of this disease. What they could not see clearly and take into account was the number of dogs increasing inconceivably everywhere. Or even if they knew, they were forced to remain silent about it, knowing well the iron hand of dog-lovers, many of whom the dignitaries who design and govern the modern world. Assuming all things in the environment remained the same, and also given that the number of some available animal host increased in the world considerably lately so as to cause repeated massive outbreaks of this disease, we are forced to believe that it was only the number of dogs in the world that increased lately, due to nations one after another blindly passing laws banning the killing of dogs. Even W.H.O. articles on Chikungunya carefully remain vague about the role of the abundance of dogs in bringing about this disease which is sweeping through almost all continents. Some get a few minutes' pleasure from dogs and the world pays too high a price for the pleasure to be justified.


Also note that the orthodox Hindu Brahmins of India never allow dogs anywhere near their home, temple or compound. They consider dogs entering those places a profane act and breach of sanctity and cleanliness. Where does all the drop-out hair of a house-dog go except to the digestive and respiratory systems of the occupants of the house? There are hundreds of other diseases spread by pet animals including dogs. Nipah Virus, Lyme disease, Chagas disease, Q fever, Brucellosis, Diphyllobothriasis, Ehrlichiosis, Pasteurellosis, Rickettsiae, Rhinosporidiosis, Ringworm Salmonellosis, Strongyloidiasis, Yersiniosis, Leptospirosis, Leishmaniasis, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis, Echinococcosis, Coenuruses cerebralis. Coccidioido mycosis and Giardiasis-theirs is a long list. The spreading of these diseases among humans could have been totally avoided, had human society broken ties with dogs.