prevention and control

Prevention and control
No vaccine is available against this virus infection. Prevention is entirely dependent upon taking steps to avoid mosquito bites and elimination of mosquito breeding sites.

To avoid mosquito bites

Wear full sleeve clothes and long dresses to cover the limbs.Use mosquito coils, repellents and electric vapour mats during the daytimeand also use mosquito nets – to protect babies, old people and others, who may rest during the day. The effectiveness of such nets can be improved by treating them with permethrin (pyrethroid insecticide). Curtains (cloth or bamboo) can also be treated with insecticide and hung at windows or doorways, to repel or kill mosquitoes. Mosquitoes become infected when they bite people who are sick with chikungunya. Mosquito nets and mosquito nets and mosquito coils will effectively prevent mosquitoes from biting sick people.

To prevent mosquito breeding

The Aedes mosquitoes that transmit chikungunya breed in a wide variety of manmade containers which are common around human dwellings. These containers collect rainwater, and include discarded tires, flowerpots, old oil drums, animal water troughs, water storage vessels, and plastic food containers. These breeding sites can be eliminated by Draining water from coolers, tanks, barrels, drums and buckets, etc.;Emptying coolers when not in use removing from the house all objects for examples plant saucers which have water collected in them cooperating with the public health authorities in anti-mosquito measures. Role of public health authorities National programme for prevention and control of vector borne diseases should be strengthened and efficiently implemented with multisectoral coordination Legislations for elimination of domestic/peridomestic mosquitogenic sites should be effectively enforced Communities must be made aware of the disease and their active cooperation in prevention and control measures elicited Minimizing Transmission of Infection

1. Risk Communication to the household members

Educate the patient and other members in the household about the risk of transmission to others and the ways to minimize the risk by minimizing vector population and minimizing the contact with vector.

2. Minimizing vector population

Intensify effort to reduce larval habitats in and around the houses: remove stagnant water from all junk items lying around and in the household and in the peri-domestic areasStagnating water in flower pots or similar containers should be changed daily or at least twice weeklyIntroduce larvivorous fish in aquaria, garden pools, etcWeeds and tall grasses should be cut short to minimize shady spaces where the adult insects hide and rest during hot daylight hoursDrain all water stagnating after rainsFogging and street sanitation with proper waste management(fogging does not appear to be effective, yet it is routinely implemented in epidemic situation

3. Minimize the vector-patient contact (Aedes mosquitoes bite during the daytime, mostly in the morning and late afternoon)

At household level:Have the patient and infants in the house rest under bed-nets, preferably permethrin-impregnated netsInsecticide sprays: bed rooms, closets and crevices, bathrooms, kitchens, nooks and corners; alternatively, coils , mats, vapourizers, etcHave the patient as well as other members of the household wear full sleeves to cover extremities, preferably bright coloured clothesWire-mesh/nets on doors and windows

4. Reporting to the nearest public health authority

Occurrence of the case in the community needs to be communicated immediately to the nearest public health official for identification of clusters by person, place and time and for expansion of the control measures in the community and district levels.