Madagascar Confirms Chikungunya Case
Date: 08-Mar-06
Country: KENYA
"Chikungunya" fever, for which there is no known cure or vaccine, has infected more than 180,000 people across Mauritius, Seychelles and Reunion, hurting productivity and threatening vital tourist visits.
Though not deadly, the fever is very painful and often causes victims into a stooped posture before they recover.
WHO Country Director Leonard Tapsoba told Reuters one case of chikungunya had been confirmed in the eastern Madagascan town of Toamasina, amidst an outbreak of dengue fever, another less severe mosquito-borne illness.
"There is one case of chikungunya confirmed in samples that have been tested from Madagascar," he said. "The others were dengue. What is certain is that there is an outbreak of dengue fever."
Health officials are concerned about the impact a chikungunya outbreak could have on one of the world's poorest countries, where three-quarters of its 17 million people live on less than a dollar a day.
