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            The most affected districts in the State of Andhra Pradesh are Warrangal, Visakhapatnam, Ananthpur, Chittoor and Kurnool.

            There is no vaccine or specific medicine available against Chikungunya infection.  There is no specific drug to cure the infection.  However, the symptoms can be alleviated by taking pain relieving drugs such as Paracetamol, plenty  of fluids and normal diet.  Supportive therapy helps in alleviating the symptoms, such as administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs  and getting plenty of rest.  Infected person should be isolated from mosquitoes as much as possible in order to avoid transmission of infection to other people.  In order to limit the infection, strong Vector Control measures are required to eliminate all potential vector breeding places.  This could be done by emptying and drying water containers once in a week, straining of stored water, treatment of water bodies with temephos or through biological control methods such as introduction of larvivorous fish.  Pyrethrum extracts (0.1 per cent) can also be sprayed inside rooms to kill adult mosquitoes.

            For those people who are affected by this disease, basic Paracetamol tablet is enough to treat them. Some doctors are misusing this opportunity and we are advising the doctors not to prescribe any costly antibiotics, which are not going to be much effective on them.

            We are going through a lot of process. In fact, we are trying to liaise with the State Governments. In fact, for Andhra Pradesh specifically, my colleague, the hon. Minister of State for Health, Shrimati Panabaka Lakshmi, is holding consultations on the 29th of this month. Of course, there are four to five States which are having consultations, and we are supporting them. Definitely, we are very, very concerned that it does not spread to the entire country.

            She also said that the Karnataka Government is facing a financial problem. For treating Chikungunya, you have to provide the basic Paracetamol. I am sure, the State Governments are equipped to provide this medicine, which they have in abundant supply. This is a cost-effective medicine.

            Regarding providing chemicals like Temephos and Pyrethrum, we are ready to supply any amount of it for internal spray as well as for mixing in water.

            In fact, Mr. Khandelwal said that in his constituency, about 40,000 people are affected. There are two laboratories in the country, that is, NIV, Pune and NICD, Delhi, which are equipped to test the samples. As in the case of Dengue fever, approximately about 10,000 samples were literally lifted and sent to them. If in a village, even if one sample has been tested, we literally declare that village as the so-called endemic area. We follow the IEC pattern and we advise the local body authorities because they have to play a major role in advising people on this.