• Home
• Español
• Site Map
• Privacy Policy
• About

Subscribe

Kashmir – Outbreak Follow Up

Follow up to yesterdays posting on the NIT in Kashmir note the confusion about the statement that it was Smallpox has been cleared up and corrected to Chickenpox.

More cases likely in coming days’

MUDASIR ALI

Srinagar, Mar 23: Day after Greater Kashmir reported the outbreak of chickenpox in the National Institute of Technology here, the health authorities came out with a confirmation.
Doctors said there could be a few more cases in the coming week but there is “nothing to feel panicky because chickenpox is a self-resolving disease.”
“Some students are likely to have contracted the disease from the already infected students and are susceptible to develop the illness,” said Dr Salim Khan, who was part of a team of doctors from Social and Preventive Medicine department of Government Medical College (GMC) that visited the NIT today.
Dr Dildar Ahmad and Dr Khursheed Ahmad were other doctors in the team who assessed the situation in NIT.
Confirming the disease among three non-Kashmiri students the doctors said claimed that there was no threat to other students as the affected students have been isolated and will be non-infective in two to three days. The doctors urged the authorities concerned of the NIT to educate students about various aspects of the disease.
Four students of the Institute were infected by the chickenpox disease. While three outside students (names withheld) have been kept in a separate ward of the Medical Unit in the campus, the Kashmiri student was shifted to home by his family members.
The registrar of the NIT, A R Bhat on Saturday told Greater Kashmir that students were infected with smallpox.
“It (disease) is chickenpox. Small pox was declared eradicated by the World Health Organization in 1979 and since then no case has been reported,” Dr Salim said.
The authorities in the NIT told Greater Kashmir that the affected students were provided the “required” medical treatment. A team of doctors from Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science also visited the campus and provided the medical treatment to the ill students,” said Registrar, NIT, AR Bhat.

For the story visit

Kashmir – 4 Students Infected, Authorities Ignorant

4 Students Infected, Authorities Ignorant

MUDASIR ALI

Srinagar, Mar 22: A contagious disease, chickenpox, has broken out in the National Institute of Technology (NIT) here while the health authorities expressed ignorance about the infection.
Four outside students of the Institute have been infected by the chickenpox disease, a medico told Greater Kashmir on Saturday.
While three outside students (names withheld) have been kept in a separate ward of the Medical Unit in the Institute campus to prevent other students from catching the disease, a Kashmiri student was taken home by his family members. “Don’t enter the ward, there are students infected by chickenpox,” the medico told this reporter.
He said the students were provided medical treatment and might recover in a week or 10 days. “We can’t shift them to any hospital as they are to be kept alone to prevent the disease from spreading,” the medico said.
A doctor wishing anonymity said the disease broke out a week ago. “An outside student who returned from winter vacation was infected by the disease. The nature of the disease was confirmed by a doctor of the medical unit in the campus,” the doctor said.
He said since the disease is highly infectious and the authorities failed to provide proper treatment to the student, it spread to his three other colleagues.
He said a Kashmiri student was also infected but was shifted to home by parents for proper treatment. “The immediate requirement is to shift the infected students to hospital for proper treatment and prevent the disease from spreading in the campus,” he said.
A team of doctors also arrived from the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS) Soura to treat the students. The doctors suggested the authorities to keep the students in a separate ward.
According to the doctor, the medical unit of the campus lacks proper infrastructure for treating the disease. “The disease can take the shape of an epidemic and spread to other students and especially the children of many families residing in the campus if proper treatment isn’t given to the patients,” the doctor said.
Chickenpox is a highly contagious viral illness that is common in children and is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), also known as human herpes virus 3 (HHV-3), one of the eight herpes viruses known to affect humans. The infections is characterized by fever and itchy, red spots usually appearing on the chest and stomach first, then appearing in crops over the entire body.
When contacted, director health said they had no information about the spread of the disease. “There is a doctor in the campus of the institute. He should have informed us,” the director said.
Registrar of NIT, AR Bhat however said the students were infected by smallpox. “We are providing proper treatment to the students,” Bhat said.

For the original story visit

Abu Dhabi – Vaccine is the best way to help prevent Chickenpox

Vaccine best way to prevent chickenpox

03/18/2008 12:41 AM | By Dina El Shammaa, Staff Reporter

Abu Dhabi: Even though chickenpox is common these days, it is not an outbreak throughout the UAE; but simply a seasonal illness, said doctors.

Chickenpox is a contagious disease caused by a virus Varicella/herpes zoster. It is spread from child to child, and sometimes to adults, by sneezing, coughing, contaminated clothing and direct contact with open blisters. Children exposed to the virus get chickenpox from 7 to 21 days.

“There is no outbreak of chickenpox in the UAE. It spreads in certain months, and in other months it is non-existent. It’s a seasonal illness and it’s time to spread is these days,” confirmed Dr Zainab Khazaal, Acting Director of Preventive Medicine, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA).

According to Dr Aigaz Lone, General Practitioner, National Hospital, Chickenpox in the UAE is growing at an alarming rate, especially among labourers.

Sick leave

Lone feels there is a kind of outbreak of chickenpox in the UAE from the increasing number of patients he has recently encountered. “Out of 30 patients, two are usually diagnosed with chickenpox. Almost every day we come across patients with chickenpox. It is mostly common among labourers. People should be very careful. We usually give those who catch the disease a ten-day sick leave,” said Lone.

In the past month, Lone has seen roughly 10 cases of people with chickenpox, mostly among adult labourers between the ages of 25 to 35 years old.

According to medical specialists, a chickenpox vaccine is the best way to prevent the illness. Vaccination not only protects the person, it also reduces the risk of exposure for persons unable to be vaccinated because of illness or other conditions, including those who may be at greater risk.

While no vaccine is 100 per cent effective in preventing the disease, the chickenpox vaccine is very effective: about eight to nine of every ten people who are vaccinated are completely protected from chickenpox. In addition, the vaccine almost always prevents against severe disease.

If a vaccinated person does get chickenpox, it is usually a very mild case lasting only a few days and involves fewer skin lesions, usually less than 50, mild fever, and few other symptoms.

For the rest of the story and more helpful tips visit

Next Page »

Helpful Reading

Sponsored Ads

Copyright © 2008-10 Chicken Pox Symptoms

By using this site you agree to and understand the following: Information contained within this site is intended solely for general educational purposes and is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice relative to your specific medical condition or question. Always seek the advice of your physician or other health provider for any questions you may have regarding your medical condition. Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies.