New test for 'Chikungunya' fever in city
The Lab Medicine Department of Apollo Hospitals, Dhaka has introduced a new blood test for diagnosis of "Chikungunya" fever, an abrupt onset of fever frequently accompanied by joint pain, said a press release yesterday.
Other common signs and symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash.
The joint pain is often very debilitating, but usually ends within a few days or weeks. Most patients recover fully, but in some cases joint pain may persist for several months, or even years, it said.
Often symptoms in infected individuals may easily be misdiagnosed in areas where dengue occurs because of similar clinical presentation and simultaneous co-infection, it added.
This is a rapid test for qualitative detection of IgM antibody in human serum in the acute phase of Chikungunya infection.
IgM antibodies may appear within two weeks of the fever, so the hospital in the press release advised to do the antibody test after the first week.
The report of this test will be available after 5:00pm if blood sample is given within 12 noon of a day.
IEDCR announced on Monday that Chikungunya is to be the cause of 25 per cent fever patients in Bangladesh, said the release.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments